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2. Inthe21stcentury,theworldrunsonenergy.Whetherit’salightinyour home,thetelevisioninyourlivingroom,thelightpostonyourstreet, orthestoplightdowntheroad,electricityinsomeformisrequiredto powerthem. Electricityiscreatedinnumerousways,andmosttownsandcitiesrelyonpowerplants to generate their electric power. However, in recent years there has been a growing trendofutilizingalternativeenergysources.Oneofthebiggestexamplesissolarenergy, whichisgatheredusingsolarpanels. It’s pretty simple – solar energy is infinite as long as we have the sun, and that’s not goingawayanytimesoon.Usingthesunforenergyisnotonlyaninfinitesource,butan environmentallyfriendlychoiceaswell. How does Solar EnergyWork? Solar energy is created by harvesting sunlight and converting it into a direct current. Thiscurrentcanbesentstraighttoadevicebeingpowered,orinvertedintoanalternate currentandpassedalongeithertoabatteryorthroughanelectricalsystem.Thingsare actuallyabitmorecomplicatedthanthis,butwe’lltouchonthatlater. Solar Panels101 Guide

6. Advantages of SolarPower Solarenergyprovidesmultiplebenefitstoeveryoneinbothdirectandindirectways. Theprimaryadvantageofsolarpoweristhefact that itiscompletelyrenewable,unlike power that comes from sources such as fossil fuels. Solar energy can be harvested in bothsunnyandcloudyconditions.Ifit’sdaytime,thereisenergyavailable,bottomline. Solarenergyisalsocompletelyclean,anddoesn’treleaseharmfulemissionsinthe air. As climate change and pollution become bigger and bigger issues, clean energy sourcesinturnbecomemoreofapremium,andcanhelptocombatemissionsand air pollutionveryeffectivelybycuttingdownontheneedfortheminthe first place. Many cities are ramping up their efforts to generate more electricity from the sun. For instance,SanFrancisconowrequiressolarpanelsoneverynewbuildingover10stories tall. Cheaper UtilityCosts Anotherbigreasonforgoingsolaristhesavingsitprovides.Whetheryouarepowering smallerdevicessuchasphonesandlaptops,orhaveahomethathasbeencompletely overhauled to be a solar-powered home, the energy savings you receive from not relyingonanelectricalenergygridorpowercompanycanaddupfast. Manylocal, state, andfederalgovernmentsevenoffertaxcreditsandrebatesforhomes thatconverttosolarenergy,whichcanhelptopayfortheconversionandequipmentin the firstplace. Portability Solar power also allows for you to have a renewable power source on the go. This can manifest itself in a variety of ways, but typically involves portable generators, portable solar chargers, and even solar backpacks. Bringing these solar devices along during outdoorexcursionsandcampingtripsprovidesyouwithaninfinitesupplyofpowerfor

7. severalelectronicdevicesandsmallappliances. What are SolarPanels? Solar panels are the items that do most of the work when it comes to producing solar energy and turning it into usable electricity. They almost always come in a square or rectangularshape,andcontainwhatarecalled“solarcells.”Thesesolarcellsthemselves are composed of either one or two layers of semiconductor waffles, and often utilize silicon,phosphorus, and boronmaterials. Thesesolarpanelsarethenusedtocapturetheenergyfromthesun,andconvertit intoelectricalpower.Withoutsolarpanels,thereisnosolarenergy. How Do Solar PanelsWork? Thewaysolarpanelsworkisactuallyfairlysimple.Solarpanelsabsorbthephotonsthat come from the sun’s energy, which is what creates the resulting electrical current. This processisknownasthePhotovoltaicEffect. Theenergycreatedviathephotonshittingthesurfaceofthesolarpanelcausesthe electronstobedisruptedfromtheiratomicorbits,andthenreleasedintotheelectric fieldthathasbeengeneratedbythesolarcells.Thecellsinthepanelsthenpullthe

8. electrons into adirectional current (DC.) As far as solar panels for home use is concerned, having enough panels operating at thesametimegeneratesenoughpowerduringthedaytobeusedinthehome at night and into the nextday. In off-grid solar panels uses for things like backup generators or portable generators, a batterypack,chargecontroller,andinverterareusedinstead.Inthiscase,thesolarpanel array sends direct current (DC) electricity to the charge controller and into the battery pack. Thepoweristhendrawnfromthebatterypacktothepowerinverter,whichthentakes the DC current and converts it into an alternating current (AC) so that can be used for standardappliancesanddevicespoweredbynormalplug-ins. Solar panel arrays can configured to meet certain electrical load requirements for numerousitems,includingbuildingsandhomes,RV’s,streetandtrafficlights,andreally just about anythingelse. Types of SolarPanels Therearequiteafewdifferentvarietiesofsolarpanelsinexistence,buttwomaintypes in particular are used the most frequently: polycrystalline and monocrystalline. Before going into the details of these two panels, it’s first important to learn what crystalline silicon is in the firstplace. CrystallineSilicon Likethenamesays,crystallinesiliconisthecrystallizedformofsilicon.Crystallinesilicon has a wide range of uses, and is almost always found in computer microchips. Solar panelcellsrequireapurerversionofcrystallinesilicon,however.

9. Solarcellsmadefromcrystallinesiliconaresingle-junctioncells,andareoftenmore efficientthan othertypes. Monocrystalline SolarPanels Panelsconstructedfrommonocrystallinehavecellsthatfeatureadistinctsemi-squared look. The cells themselves are made from silicon ingots that have their edges cut off, whichgivesthemtheirdistinctlook.Monocrystallineisamorepureformofsilicon,which resultsinapanelwithahigherefficiency. Advantages The biggest obvious advantage of monocrystalline solar panels is their overall efficiency.Sincethepanelsconvertmoresunlightthanotherpanels,theydon’trequire asmuchspace.Thiscanbehelpfultothosethatdon’thavealotofroomforthepanels ontheirpropertyorroof. Monocrystallinepanelsalsohavethelongestlifespan,andcanperformbetterunder low-lightconditions. Disadvantages As you may have guessed, due to their better performance and efficiency, monocrystallinepanelsaregenerallythemostexpensive.Thesepanelsalsotendto breakdownthecircuitwhenintheshade,orcoveredwithobjectslike dirt andsnow. Polycrystalline SolarPanels

10. Polycrystalline panels are made from a different process than their monocrystalline counterparts. With these panels, raw silicon is melted down to a liquid form, and then pouredintosquaremolds.Oncethesiliconcools,thepaneliscreated.Thisresultsinthe blue,almostwindow-likelookoftenassociatedwithsolarpanels. Advantages Polycrystallinesolarpanelsarecheaperthanmonocrystalline,makingthemmore affordableforthosedesiringsolarpoweronasmallerbudget. Disadvantages These panels do not perform as efficiently as monocrystalline panels, which means you’llneedmoreofthem.Thosethathavelargewattagerequirementsandasmaller roofmightfinditdifficulttoprovideallthepowernecessarywiththespacetheyhave available. Uses for SolarPanels Nowthatyouknowtheytypesofsolarpanelsandhowtheywork,let’sexaminetheir manyuses. Industrial PowerPlants Severalsolarpowerplantshavebeenbuiltoverthelastfewdecades,mostlyindry desert regions such as Nevada and Southern California. These plants are able to generatesubstantialamountsofelectricitytobeaddedtothegrid. Solar power plants utilize hundreds and even thousands of carefully arranged solar panelsthataremadewithqualitysolarcellmaterials.Thereareplansfornumeroussolar powerplantstobeaddedtothegridsofseveralcitiesoverthecomingyears. HomeUse

11. MoreandmorehomesacrosstheUnitedStatesareoptingtousesolarenergyfor atleastpartoftheirenergyneeds.Othershavesolarsystemsthatareusedasan emergencybackupinthecaseofanoutage,bothlongandshort term. Homeownersthatwishtohaveaconstantstreamofsolarpowerwillofteninstallpanels onto their roof, or lay out panels elsewhere on their property if possible. Depending on thetownandmunicipality,homeownerscaneitheropttopowertheirentirehomewith theirownsolarsystem,orsupplementtheircurrentstandardelectricaluse. Many people have chosen to add solar systems to their homes for both environmental and economic reasons. Homeowners living in smog-heavy cities have increasingly moved towards solar energy for their homes, hoping to offset the pollution in their area whilealsoeasingtheburdenonthepowergriditself,whichcansometimeshavefailures incitiessuchasLosAngeles. Eitherway,thereisalmostalwaysafinancialincentiveforsolarenergyuseathome,as federaltaxcreditsandrebatescanhelptosignificantlyoffsetthecostofthesesystems, leavinghomeownerswithsavingsbothshortandlongterm. FarmUse Solarpanelshavecountlessusesforagriculture.SeveralfarmersacrosstheUnited Statesusesolarpanelstopoweravarietyofsmallequipmentandappliancesin numerousscenarios.Farmerscanusesolarenergytopowerfansfortheirlivestock, waterwellsandpumps,lighting,andawholeslewofotherusesaswell. Off the GridUse Solarpanelsareapopularchoiceforthosethatliveinextremelyremoteareas,asthey maylackaccesstoaregulatedpowergridinthe first place.Solarpanelsandgenerators allow these people to provide a constant stream of energy to their property without having to worry about utility bills, or even faulty service that often results when living remotely.

12. SolarenergysystemsarealsoveryusefulforthosethatownpropertiessuchasSolarenergysystemsarealsoveryusefulforthosethatownpropertiessuchas vacationandhuntingcabinsinremoteareas.Thesecabinsandhousesofferanescape fromcitylifeanddenselypopulatedareas,butcanalsolackbasicutilities. Solar panels can thus be used to power either a few smaller appliances such as lights andafanortwo,orbeapartofalargersystemthatprovidesadequatepowersimilarto afullscaleresidentialsolarpowersystem. Thisallowsthepowertobetherewhenthepropertyownerneedsit,astheymaynotbe atthepropertyoftenenoughtokeepconstantservicefroma utilitycompany. PortableGenerators Mostpeopleareveryfamiliarwithportablegenerators.Thesedevicescanbeused

13. tosupplypoweronthego,orevenathomeforaselectamountofappliancesand electronicdevices. In the past, portable generators were powered only by gasand propane, or were chargeduppriortouseviaanACadaptertoawalloutlet.However,solartechnology through solar panels has provided a way to charge these generators using the sun instead. Portable solar generators vary in size and power, but always require the use of solar panels. Some have solar panels built in to the unit itself, while others have external systemsthatcansometimesbecompacted,foldeddown,andcarriedlikeabriefcase. Solargeneratorsallowforportableenergythatneverrunsoutlikegasandpropane, whilealsocuttingdownsignificantlyonnoiseandemissions. SolarChargers Smaller solar panels can be used as chargers for smaller devices and appliances. Conventional solar panels that are used with generators and solar power systems have to first bepassedthrougheitherapowerinverter,orabattery,asthewattageofferedby thesepanelswoulddamageasmallerdeviceif connecteddirectly. Solar chargers offer a wattage that is compatible with the battery capabilities of devices like phones and tablets. The solar panels themselves are often the size of the averagesmartphone,makingthemeasytocarryonthego.Withthesechargers,youcan simplyconnecttothedevice,sitinthesun,andwatchasyourdevicecharges. SolarBackpacks Solar backpacks work in a similar way to solar charger. With solar backpacks, the solar panel is found on the back of the backpack facing outwards, and usually takes up the wholeoutsidespace.Everythingelseaboutthebackpackisthesameasanormalone.

14. Thesebackpacksarealwayschargingwheninthesun,andcanbeusedtochargesmall deviceswhenyouaretravelingonfootintheoutdoors.Whetheryouarecommuting inthecitytoandfromwork,orspendingthedaybackpackingandhiking,yoursolar backpack’spanelswillensurethatyouhaveawaytokeepyouressentialdevices powered. Solarbackpackpanelsareoftenwaterproof,andveryresistanttoscratchesandimpact, makingthemverydurable. TrafficUse More and more towns and cities are relying on solar panels to power lower wattage devicessuchastrafficlights.Thepanelsareoftenfoundinaverycloseproximitytothe traffic lights, and collect just enough power during the day to power the traffic lights on through to thenext. It’salsoverycommontoseesolarpanelsusedforstreetlightsliningcityroads.Eachlight has its own panel either close to the ground, or placed on top of the light. This provides cities and municipalities a cost-effective and renewable way to power essential traffic devicesonapermanentbasis. How to Build a SolarPanel For those that have a basic understanding of electrical circuits topped off with a generalknowledgeofpowertoolsandwoodworking,buildingyourownsolarpanelis relativelysimple. Togetstarted,youmustfirstdecideonwhetheryouwanta12vor24vpanel,andhow bigyouwantyourpaneltobe.Alarge,flat,lightweightboardmadefromqualitywood makesforagoodpanelbase. Onceyouhavedecidedontheboardandsize,it’stimetoacquirethesolarcells themselves.Thiscanbedonethroughavarietyofonlinemerchants,includingeBay.Try

15. tokeepthecostunder$1.3perwatt. Afteracquiringyoursolarcells,youcannowputitalltogether.Layouteachpanelwhere you’dlikeitplacedonthepanel,andtracearoundeachonewithapencil.Afterdoingso, drillaholewhereeachpanelwillgosothatyouhaveaspaceforthewireforeachpanel to comethrough. When you are done planning the location of the panels, move on to wiring them together. This requires a soldering iron. Solder the positive lead of the wire to the negativeleadofthenextcell.Repeatforeverycelluntilyouhavecreatedacircuitthat boastsavoltageofeither12or24volts. Nowthatyouhavecreatedyourpanelcircuit,stickthepanelstotheirdesignatedspace ontheboard.Followthatbycreatingconnectionbusesalongthepositiveandnegative leads,andthenconnectthosebusesinaparallelform. Yourpanelisnowreadytobetestedforamperageandconnectedtoan inverter. How to Install SolarPanels Solarpanelscanbeinstalledinavarietyofways. Iftheapplicationishomeuseinalarge wattage capacity, you will need to install numerous panels on your roof. This can be done with solar panel mounts. These mounts come in three types: pole mounts, roof- groundmounts,andflushmounts. Installing solar panels on the roof requires access to the underside of your roof, as wellasyourhome’selectricalcircuit.Theactuallocationofthesolarpanelsontheroof shouldbedeterminedonwhatdirectionyourhomefaces,andwhatpartoftheroofwill receivethemostsunlightduringtheday. Obstructionssuchastreesandstructuralpartsofthehomethatcancastshadowson thepanelsshouldbeavoidedaswell. Onceyouhavedeterminedthelocationofyourpanels,affixthemtoyourroofevenly usingthedesiredmountingsystem,andthenrunthewirestoyourpowerinverter.

16. Should You Install Solar PanelsYourself? Theshortanswertothisquestionisgoingtobe‘no’99%ofthetime.Solarpanelsmay acquireenergyfromthesun,butthisdoesn’tmakethemanymoresafethananyother electrical source. You are still dealing with high amounts of electricity, which makes it just asdangerous. Furthermore, solar panels and systems can be extremely complicated. Only those withahighfunctioningknowledgeofelectricalsystemsshouldevenattempttodoit themselves.Thesystemandinstallationisfurthercomplicatedforcitiesthatrequirethe hometostillbeapartoftheelectricgrid.

17. Ifyouarewantingtoequipyourhomewithpermanentsolarpanelsthatfeedintoyour powersystem,it’salwaysbesttohireprofessionalswhospecializeinsuchaservice. MinorInstallations The only time a novice should attempt installation of solar panels is when the panel is part of a solar kit, such as a portable generator, or kit for an RV. These kits come with inverters,andeverythingisalreadycompatible,alongwithbeingseparatefromanykind of grid. These kits are generally “plug-and-plays,” which means they are ready to be usedstraightoutofthebox,withnoassembly. Atthatpoint,allyouhavelefttodoiseitherplacethepanelwhereyou’dlike,orperform aminorinstallbyaffixingittoacertainpartofyourhome, RV, cabin,orcampsite.