All Basics from Solar Power Cells to Solar Power Generators

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All Basics from Solar Power Cells to Solar Power Generators

With all of the hype about energy these days, more people are beginning to look at solar power generators as a means of reducing their power consumption. Companies are also beginning to provide ready-made products for consumers to purchase that makes it easy to set up a system for their solar powered home or at the cottage. So how to you get from a solar power cell on the solar power panel to a solar power generator system and how much does it cost?

Solar power cells are really the main component in any system since it is this component that actually generates the DC electricity that is then stored for later use, converted to AC voltage and even sold to the local electrical utility in situations were you have excess generated power. Solar power cells are actually quite complex and the result of many years of development. First used in the space program, they are now finding their way into consumer's hands for many applications.

Solar Power Cell Construction

The solar power cell is actually made up of six layers of material, each performing an important function. Photons can pass straight through a solar cell, they are absorbed by the solar cell or they can bounce off the cell. The layers of the cell are really aimed at managing this phenomenon to maximize the amount of electrical energy produced. The back stops photons from passing through the cell and provides support for the structure.

The N-type silicon layer and the P-type silicon layer are were the electricity is really generated by absorbing photons and creating an opposing electrical field between the two. Photons disrupt this field causing electrons to be displaced and generate electrical current. There also is an antireflective coating applied to reduce the number of photons that are reflected and a glass cover to protect the surface of the grid. Now that we have the basic explanation of a solar power cell, how to we go from a solar power cell to a solar power generator?

Solar Power Generators

Solar power generator systems can be large and complex producing many KW's of electrical power and cost thousands of dollars or they can be simple and cost under five hundred dollars. The simple straightforward systems can be designed and built at home using components purchased at your local hardware store or ordered from a website that sells such devices. If you are planning a robust solar power generator, most consumers will find that they will need the assistance of an expert to help them design their system. Proper component capacity sizing to match with other components in the system as well as meeting the electrical output needs of your home or office will be taken into account.

Solar power generators all have the same basic components. These include the PV's or photovoltaic cells, an inverter to convert from DC to AC current, a charge controller to manage the charging of the batteries in your system and a net metering system if you plan to sell electrical power back to the local electrical utility. In addition, redundant components can be added if you feel that you need to have a fail safe system that will continue to produce electrical energy if any component fails.