The solar panel is composed of solar cells, which can convert solar energy in sunlight into electrical energy. Solar cells, also known as "solar chips" or "photocells", are photovoltaic semiconductor sheets that directly generate electricity using sunlight. As a power source, several single solar battery strings must be connected in series, connected in parallel, and sealed tightly into components. A solar panel (also called a solar cell module) is a device that directly or indirectly converts solar radiation energy into electrical energy through the photoelectric effect or photochemical effect by absorbing sunlight. It is an assembly that multiple solar cells are assembled according to. It is the core part of the solar power generation system and the most important part of the solar power generation system.
Solar panels collect clean renewable energy in the form of sunlight and convert it into electrical energy, which can then be used to provide power to electrical loads. The solar panel is composed of several individual solar cells, which are themselves composed of layers of silicon, phosphorus (providing negative charge), and boron (providing positive charge). The solar panel absorbs photons and generates an electric current in the process. The energy generated by the photons striking the surface of the solar panel causes the electrons to be knocked out from the atomic orbit and released into the electric field generated by the solar cell. These free electrons then pull it toward the directional current. This entire process is called the photovoltaic effect.(Learn more about solar products at Inverter & Power Transformer & Solar Panel | Buy Online)
The light-heat-electricity conversion method uses the thermal energy generated by solar radiation to generate electricity. Generally, the solar energy collector converts the absorbed heat energy into working fluid vapor and then drives the steam turbine to generate electricity. The former process is a light-heat conversion process; the latter process is a heat-electricity conversion process.
The light-electricity direct conversion method is to use the photoelectric effect to directly convert solar radiation energy into electrical energy. The basic device of the light-electricity conversion is a solar cell. A solar cell is a device that directly converts sunlight energy into electrical energy due to the photovoltaic effect. It is a semiconductor photodiode. When the sun shines on the photodiode, the photodiode will convert the sun's light energy into electrical energy. Current. When many batteries are connected in series or parallel, they can become a square array of solar cells with relatively large output power.
Tempered glass: To protect the main body of power generation (such as batteries), the selection of light transmission is required: the light transmittance must be high (generally more than 91%); ultra-white tempered treatment.
EVA: It is used to bond and fixes the tempered glass and the power generation body (cell). The quality of the transparent EVA material directly affects the life of the component. EVA exposed to the air is aging and yellowing, which affects the light transmittance of the component. In addition to the quality of EVA itself, the lamination process of component manufacturers also has a great influence on the quality of power generation of the components. For example, if the adhesion of EVA is not up to standard, the insufficient bonding strength between EVA and tempered glass and the backplane will cause EVA to prematurely aging. Affect the life of components.
Cell: It is used for power generation. The mainstream of the main power generation market is crystalline silicon solar cells and thin-film solar cells, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. For crystalline silicon solar cells, the equipment cost is relatively low, but the consumption and cell cost are high, but the photoelectric conversion efficiency is also high, and it is more suitable to generate electricity in outdoor sunlight. Thin-film solar cells have relatively high equipment costs, but low consumption and battery costs, but the photoelectric conversion efficiency is more than half that of crystalline silicon cells, but the weak light effect is very good and can generate electricity under ordinary lights, such as calculators On the solar cell.
Backplane: Used for sealing, insulation, and waterproofing. Generally, materials such as TPT and TPE must be resistant to aging. Most component manufacturers have a 25-year warranty. Tempered glass and aluminum alloy are generally no problem. The key is whether they can meet the requirements with the backplane and silicone.
Aluminum alloy: protects the laminate and provides certain sealing and supporting functions.
Junction box: protect the entire power generation system and act as a current relay station. If the component short-circuits the junction box, it automatically disconnects the short-circuit battery string to prevent the entire system junction box from burning out. The most important thing is the selection of diodes. Different types have different corresponding diodes.
Silicone: Sealing function, used to seal the junction between the component and the aluminum alloy frame, the component, and the junction box. Some companies use double-sided adhesive tape and foam to replace silicone.
Monocrystalline silicon solar panel
The photoelectric conversion efficiency of the monocrystalline silicon solar panel is about 15%, and the highest is 24%. This is the highest photoelectric conversion efficiency of all types of solar panels, but the manufacturing cost is so large that it cannot be widely used. To use. Because monocrystalline silicon is generally encapsulated with tempered glass and waterproof resin, it is rugged and durable, with a service life of up to 15 years and a maximum of 25 years.
Polycrystalline solar panel
The production process of polycrystalline silicon solar panels is similar to that of monocrystalline silicon solar panels, but the photoelectric conversion efficiency of polycrystalline silicon solar panels is much lower, and its photoelectric conversion efficiency is about 12% (July 1, 2004, the listing efficiency of Sharp Japan is 14.8% The world's most efficient polycrystalline silicon solar panel). In terms of production cost, it is cheaper than monocrystalline silicon solar panels, the material is easy to manufacture, and the power consumption is saved, and the total production cost is low, so it has been developed a lot. Also, the service life of polycrystalline silicon solar panels is shorter than that of monocrystalline silicon solar panels. In terms of cost performance, monocrystalline silicon solar panels are slightly better.
Amorphous silicon solar panel
The manufacturing method of amorphous silicon solar panels is completely different from that of monocrystalline silicon and polycrystalline silicon solar panels. The process is greatly simplified. The silicon material consumes very little and the power consumption is lower. Its main advantage is that it can also generate electricity in low light conditions. However, the main problem with amorphous silicon solar panels is that the photoelectric conversion efficiency is relatively low, the international advanced level is about 10%, and it is not stable enough. As time goes on, its conversion efficiency declines.
Used in conjunction with the solar controller, it can control the multi-channel solar battery array to charge the battery and the automatic control equipment for the battery to power the solar inverter load.
Multi-component solar panel
The multi-component compound solar panel refers to a solar panel that is not made of a single element semiconductor material. There are many varieties studied in various countries, most of which have not yet been industrialized, mainly including cadmium sulfide solar panels, gallium arsenide solar panels, copper indium selenium solar panels.
Rigid solar panel
The solar panel installed under the tempered glass is the rigid solar panel. They vary in size, and most panels are installed in aluminum frames for outdoor installation. Their structure is resistant to hail, sand, and strong winds. The glass is scratch-resistant and can be adapted to long-term use.
The rigid solar panel features wide size range, cheap per watt, strong and durable, usually with a long warranty period (more than 10 years), due to their sturdy frame, they are easier to position towards the sun, rigid solar panels are performance and durable The best choice for sex.
Flexible solar panel
The flexible solar panel is a flat solar panel covered with a layer of protective plastic. Since they do not have a frame, they are compact and can be bent appropriately, for example, to fit the roof curve. And it's lighter. But because the protective plastic on the surface is relatively soft, it is easy to scratch and the impact is relatively small. However, excessive bending of the panel will often cause problems with internal connections and even lead to short circuits between battery cells. Due to these problems, the warranty period of flexible solar panels is often shorter than that of rigid solar panels. Flexible panels are not easy to adjust the lighting angle, because their position depends on the surface to which they are attached.
Features of flexible solar panels: thin, lightweight, bendable to 30 degrees, easy to scratch, short life. Flexible solar panels are only suitable for areas where the surface is significantly curved. If it is a relatively flat surface, it is still recommended to use rigid solar panels.
When using flexible panels, the more the panel is bent, the lower the efficiency. This is because the panel's power generation effect is optimal only when the entire panel obtains consistent light. The flexible solar panel receives inconsistent light, and there are more places in some places and fewer places, so the power generation efficiency is low.
Solar panel placement
If you are driving a large RV, then the solar panel can be permanently fixed on the roof. This is the easiest way. But in some cases, you can also use a portable solar panel or solar suitcase to provide additional power or charge small electronic devices.
Fixed solar panel
Fixed solar panels are permanently installed on the top of the RV. You can add an inclined mounting bracket to manually adjust the angle and get the best power generation efficiency so that your solar car can maximize the use of solar energy.
When installing solar panels, please note that solar panels perform best at low temperatures. It is best to leave a little space between the panel and the roof to allow air circulation to lower the temperature of the panel. Installing or gluing the panel directly to the roof will lose the bottom cooling airflow.
This is another reason why rigid boards have advantages over flexible boards. Most rigid solar panels have some gaps in the frame. This can prevent overheating of solar panels from affecting power generation efficiency.
As soon as the sun comes out, they begin to collect electrical energy, do not occupy valuable car space, and are not easily stolen. Better adapt to those who consume a lot of electricity and need more than 200W of solar energy. It can also shade the vehicle to help reduce heat.
Disadvantages of the fixed panel: it is difficult to obtain the best angle of sunlight, the workload of installation is relatively large, the roof height and wind resistance are increased, and the choice of roof layout is reduced, and it is not easy to install the air conditioner.
Portable solar panel
Portable solar panels and solar suitcases are relatively light and can be placed in a car and taken out when camping. If you want to charge or charge your mobile phone or laptop at the campsite, these are great choices.
No need to modify the vehicle, easy to use, you can aim at the sunlight to get the best exposure. Generally applicable to various vehicles (small car, SUV, etc.), When your vehicle is parked in the shade, it can also generate electricity.
Each time it needs to be installed, it takes up space in the car and cannot be charged during driving, so it is not suitable for use in cities.
Sunny days can guarantee sufficient power generation, but your power generation will be greatly reduced on cloudy or rainy days.
When there is some dust or debris on the solar panel, it will also affect your power generation. Please regularly check the solar panel for dust, leaves, and other debris to improve the utilization rate of the solar panel.
If a tilting bracket can be installed for the rigid solar panel to generate electricity when the sunlight is aligned, the solar power generation capacity can be increased by 20%.
Most solar panels are very sensitive to shadows. Each small square on the panel is connected in a certain way. When one of them is covered by shadows, the entire row will not generate electricity. If about 10% of the panel is covered, the amount of power generation may be reduced by 90%. Therefore, the location where the solar panel is installed is very important. These factors should be considered when planning the roof layout. If your roof rack, exhaust fan, or storage box covers the panel, it may greatly reduce the amount of electricity generated.