How Do Photovoltaic Cells Work for Solar Power?
It is this component of the solar power system, that actually collects the sun radiation needed for generating power. The photovoltaic(PV) cells are kept in arrays on the roof top in order to collect maximum sunlight. These PV cells contain silicon slices that are positively and negatively charged, positioned under a thin glass slice. When the sunlight falls on these cells, the neutrons get knocked off the silicon chip. The neutrons that are negatively charged gets attracted to silicon, but gets trapped in the magnetic field formed from fields opposite. These neutrons are caught in the wires attached to the silicon . This, when connected to a circuit, generates electricity. Thus direct current is formed here and it needs to be passed onto an inverter, where it gets converted into alternating current. The electric gadgets in our homes work on alternating current. Here, some amount of power gets lost, since the inverter does not use up the whole current passed through it. Today more efficient inverters are available, that won’t waste the power. By nature, the PV cells does not require any other maintenance other than an annual maintenance/clean up. Since there are no moving parts for a cell, it would last for even 35-40 years. To save even more money you can learn how to build a solar panel yourself.
