Solar power is one of the world’s most rapidly growing industries. While solar innovation has lessened in the United States, places like China are barreling forward. Since solar energy is extremely safe, efficient and low maintenance, it will likely grow even more as the technology becomes cheaper to use. The following is a brief list of solar energy terms that every interested person should know. More terms are explained at http://whitesunsolar.com.
Photons:
Light is composed of photons which carry energy. The photons carried with sunlight are what are converted into electrical energy using a photovoltaic panel.
Polycrystalline:
There are actually several different types of solar panels on the market. Polycrystalline panels are created through a casting process which creates multiple silicon crystals inside of a mold. This process is quite inexpensive, but results in lowered efficiency because of increased resistance in between the grain boundaries.
Monocrystalline:
In the monocrystalline structure, the silicon is formed into a single crystal. As a result, these cells are very efficient, although they do cost more to make. These are some of the most commonly produces solar cells around.
Silicon Carbide:
Abbreviated as SiC, this material consists of silicon which has been bonded to carbon. Its primary purpose is to be an abrasive. It is used to cut and grind materials.
Million Solar Roofs Initiative:
The state of California created this initiative in an attempt to get one million buildings powered by solar by 2010. This initiative provided some excellent rebates in an attempt to get more people using solar energy. Some of the current programs today use this initiative as a model.
Modules:
A module is a collection of smaller solar cells which combine to form a full panel. These panels are protected by glass exteriors, are rigid and easy to move around. Multiple panels are connected together to create a full system.