The Benefits of Solar Panels

Using solar panels is a very practical way to produce electricity for many applications. The obvious would have to be off-grid living. Living off-grid means living in a location that is not serviced by the main electric utility grid. Remote homes and cabins benefit nicely from solar power systems. No longer is it necessary to pay huge fees for the installation of electric utility poles and cabling from the nearest main grid access point. A solar electric system is potentially less expensive and can provide power for upwards of three decades if properly maintained.

Besides the fact that solar panels make it possible to live off-grid, perhaps the greatest benefit that you would enjoy from the use of solar power is that it is both a clean and a renewable source of energy. With the advent of global climate change, it has become more important that we do whatever we can to reduce the pressure on our atmosphere from the emission of greenhouse gases. Solar panels have no moving parts and require little maintenance. They are ruggedly built and last for decades when porperly maintained.

Last, but not least, of the benefits of solar panels and solar power is that, once a system has paid for its initial installation costs, the electricity it produces for the remainder of the system's lifespan, which could be as much as 15-20 years depending on the quality of the system, is absolutely free! For grid-tie solar power system owners, the benefits begin from the moment the system comes online, potentially eliminating monthy electric bills or, and this is the best part, actually earning the system's owner additional income from the electric company. How? If you use less power than your solar electric system produces, that excess power can be sold, sometimes at a premium, to your electric utility company!

There are many other applications and benefits of using solar panels to generate your electricity needs - too many to list here. But as you browse our website, you'll gain a good general knowledge of just how versatile and convenient solar power can be.

sumber : http://www.mrsolar.com/content/what-is-a-solar-panel.php

How Do Solar Panels Work?

Solar panels collect clean renewable energy in the form of sunlight and convert that light into electricity which can then be used to provide power for electrical loads. Solar panels are comprised of several individual solar cells which are themselves composed of layers of silicon, phosphorous (which provides the negative charge), and boron (which provides the positive charge). Solar panels absorb the photons and in doing so initiate an electric current. The resulting energy generated from photons striking the surface of the solar panel allows electrons to be knocked out of their atomic orbits and released into the electric field generated by the solar cells which then pull these free electrons into a directional current This entire process is known as the Photovoltaic Effect.

An average home has more than enough roof area for the necessary number of solar panels to produce enough solar electricrity to supply all of its power needs. Assisted by an inverter, a device that converts the direct current (or DC current), generated by a solar panel into alternating current (or AC current), solar panel arrays can be sized to meet the most demanding electrical load requirements. The AC current can be used to power loads in your home or commercial building, your recreational vehicle or your boat (RV/Marine Solar Panels), your remote cabin or home, and remote traffic controls, telecommunications equipment, oil and gas flow monitoring, RTU, SCADA, and much more.

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A Short History of Solar Panels

A Short History of Solar Panels
Henri Becquerel discovered the Photovoltaic Effect

The development of solar energy goes back more than 100 years. In the early days, solar power was used primarily for the production of steam which could be used to drive machinery. But it wasn't until the discovery of the "photovoltaic effect" by Henri Becquerel that would allow the conversion of sunlight solar electric energy. Becquerel's discovery then led to the invention in 1893 by Charles Fritts of the first genuine solar cell which was formed by coating sheets of selenium with a thin layer of gold. And from this humble beginning would arise the device we know today as the solar panel.

Russel Ohl, an American inventor on the payroll of Bell Laboratories, patented the world's first silicon solar cell in 1941. Ohl's invention led to the production of the first solar panel in 1954 by the same company. The new-fangled solar panels found their first mainstream use in space satellites. For most people, the first solar panel in their life was probably embedded in their new calculator - circa the 1970s!

Today, solar panels and complete solar panel systems are used to power a wide variety of applications. Yes, solar panels in the form of solar cells are still being used in calculators. However, they are also being used to provide solar power to entire homes and commercial buildings, such as Google's headquarters in California.

sumber : http://www.mrsolar.com/content/what-is-a-solar-panel.php

Solar-Powered Airplane Attempts First Night Flight

Solar Impulse, which is the first airplane designed to fly day and night without fuel, is attempting to fly for the first time at night. The plane took off at 6:51 this morning, local time from the Payerne airbase in Switzerland, and as of this writing, everything was proceeding as planned, and night was just beginning to fall. "It's not just a question of flying the plane, but the team working together on the strategy of making the profile of flying through the night," said Bertrand Piccard, president and founder of the Solar Impulse project, during a webcast update on the flight. "For now, cross fingers, everything is going well. The sky is completely clear, (pilot) Andre (Borscherg) is warm, and so he is looking forward to getting to a higher atmosphere, of 13,000 feet. "

Piccard said the entire flight is a choreography of timing and execution. They don't want the plane to reach the desired altitude too quickly, because the batteries need to be fully charged exactly when night falls, and at the top of the airplane's climb. The lightweight lithium batteries also need to stay within a certain temperature range.

The Solar Impulse airplane. Credit: Solar Impulse

Borscherg will stay at the highest altitude for awhile, then descend during the night. "We have to manage energy and efficiency," Piccard said. "If everything works well, Andre will be asked to continue the flight through the night. But if there is any problem before night, we want to bring the plane down to land before 10 pm local time."

Piccard said this effort is not just about flying an airplane on solar power, but "to show everyone on this planet that we are not so dependent on non-renewable energies as we may think."

The ultimate goal of this project is to fly the plane around the world without stopping, which the team hopes to do in 2012. The plane made its maiden voyage in April of 2010.

You can watch the webcast at this link."You can really follow it and really experience the suspense," said Piccard.

"For 7 years now, the whole team has been passionately working to achieve this first decisive step of the project", said André Borschberg a few minutes before easing himself into the cockpit for a flight expected to last until Thursday morning.

The plane has a 61 meter wingspan, and the wings are covered with 12,000 state-of-the-art photovoltaic solar cells that power the plane. Using so-called intelligent light materials and new energy storage, the plane will be able to fly both night and day, completely on solar power. Solar impulse weights 1,600 kg and can fly at speeds up to 70 kmh at a maximum altitude of 8,500 m (27,900 ft).

Here is the flight profile for Solar Impulse HB-SIA:

The plane will slowly ascend all day to an altitude of 8,500 meters, while at the same time charging its batteries in preparation for the night flight. When the sun’s rays stop being strong enough to supply the solar cells (about two hours before sunset) with energy, the HB-SIA will start a slow descent, reaching an altitude of around 1,500 meters by 23:00. It should then carry on flying, using the energy stored in its batteries, until the next sunrise. The big question is whether the pilot can make efficient use of the battery energy to fly throughout the night. If this mission is successful, it will be the longest and highest flight ever made by a solar plane.

sumber : http://www.universetoday.com/2010/07/07/solar-powered-airplane-attempts-first-night-flight/