Solar Technology Basics

Introduction to solar panels and solar energy.

Solar technology basics.

Offered by the state university of new york. In addition the book also covers other forms of solar en ergy in particular solar thermal applications and solar fuels. This course gives you an introduction to the fundamentals of solar power as it applies to solar panel system installations. Welcome to solar power 101.

Solar energy has amazing potential to power our daily lives thanks to constantly improving technologies. You will be able to identify the key components needed in a basic. Considering buying a solar energy system but know nothing about the topic. Ever wonder how solar panels are made.

Photovoltaics often shortened as pv gets its name from the process of converting light photons to electricity voltage which is called the photovoltaic effect this phenomenon was first exploited in 1954 by scientists at bell laboratories who created a working. This article is the first in a series i ll be publishing over the coming weeks to explain the basics of solar power how it works the equipment costs and benefits in terms of environmental impact. The space race between the u s. Solar cells also called photovoltaic cells convert sunlight directly into electricity.

You will learn to compare solar energy to other energy resources and explain how solar panels or photovoltaics pv for short convert sunlight to electricity. On this page we ll go over the basics of solar energy and explain where to start if you want to buy a solar power system. Solar energy technology basics u s. To boost the power output of pv cells they are.

Many of the topics that are discussed in this book are also covered in the massive open online course mooc on solar energy delftx et 3034tu that is. Some of the earliest man made satellites including vanguard 1 were powered by photovoltaic cells. And russia sparks significant investments in solar technology. Solar energy is the technology used to harness the sun s energy and make it useable.

Or how a solar system works. These are the most common questions we hear as we design and sell systems on a daily basis. More energy from the sun falls on the earth in one hour than is used by everyone in the world in one year. An individual pv cell is usually small typically producing about 1 or 2 watts of power.

Pv basics pv technology and pv systems. Home solar photovoltaic technology basics. As of 2011 the technology produced less than one tenth of one percent of global energy demand. Department of energy office of energy efficiency.

If you re looking for a beginner s guide to solar power you ve come to the right place. A single pv device is known as a cell. Home solar energy technology basics. Solar energy is a powerful source of energy that can be used to heat cool and light homes and businesses.