Solar
Energy
-Solar panels-
Introduction to solar
panels
• Solar panels are a reliable and renewable
energy, they provide free energy to heat
your home and water. Solar panels were
invented in 1973 when caring for the
environment didn’t seem very important
Solar panels have become more useful
each year since 1973. Now we realize
that solar panels are a sustainable source
of energy.
The Benefits of having Solar Panels
in your home
• There are many benefits to using solar power.
First of all, you are going to find that you are
able to use power each and every day, and
also every night. You are going to have enough
power to continue using whenever you need
to, because it is going to be stored up for your
own personal use. You don’t need to worry
about not having power or having a black out,
because it is simply not going to happen.
Solar Panel Batteries
• When it is a really hot day and you have extra
solar power that you don’t need it can be
stored in a battery.
• The batteries are able to hold the energy for
up to 5 days and can hold up to 45,000
pounds of energy.
• The storage is a good idea but if you have 10
cold rainy days then it will be no good as it
only holds the energy for up to 5 days.
What are Solar Panels and what do
they do?
The solar panel to the right collects
the solar or sunrays of the sun and
directly converts the energy into
electricity. These panels include
small individual cells that are made
up by diodes, diodes converts the
energy in the sunlight into usable
electricity. The number of cells in
the panel determine the amount of
energy that the panel will convert.
Types of Solar Panels
• There are different types of solar panels
manufactured, here are the most common ones:
• Monocrystalline is made from a large single crystal,
cut from ingots. The most efficient is the
Monocrystalline, but it is also the most expensive.
• Polycrystalline is a cast block of silicon and is the
most common right now. It is slightly less efficient
than Monocrystalline.
• Amorphous are thin-film panels. These panels
have the lowest efficiency rating.
Cost of Solar Panels and
how much we can save
• The cost of solar panels depends on what size the
panels are and what wattage they have. A 30 watt premade solar panel costs $225.00. To provide power to a
medium sized house it might cost $25,000 or for a
large house $50,000.
• Building your own solar panels are actually easy, you
can build your own solar panels for $200.
• In 10 years you could have just about repaid the cost of
the solar panels. After 10/11 years you won’t need to
pay for electricity anymore and your house will being
running much more efficiently.
The efficiency of Solar panels
•
•
•
Solar power panels are efficient because they generate
free power from the sun, to reduce your electricity bills.
Even though panels are expensive, in the long run they
can produce energy to heat your home. Home solar
panels have improved the way people live because they
reduce monthly power bills. Panels are becoming more
used because of the cost increase of electricity. The
reason for solar panels is to generate power for your
home and to lower or replace your monthly electricity
power bill. New solar panels have been improved in a
variety of ways that give you a solar panels with little
maintenance required.
One of the ways home solar panels have been improved
of their efficiency is by having 20% conversion
efficiency; this means you will need less solar panel to
generate the same amount of power from the sun with
the older panels.
The newer the solar panel, the less of the older panels
you need to generate power for your home. The newer
panels rotate to the angle of the sun so that more solar
power is produced.
Bibliography
• http://www.homesolarandwindinfo.com/solar-panel-cost/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power
• http://www.energywise.govt.nz/how-to-be-energyefficient/generating-renewable-energy-at-home
• http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/power/1what-are-solar-panels.html
• http://www.solarenergy.com/index.php/commercial
• http://solarpowerpanel.co.nz/
• http://www.surplustronics.co.nz/shop/cat570.html
• http://www.slg.co.nz/Solar-Water-Heater-Panel/SolarAnalysis.shtml
• http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/energyefficiency/question418.htm
• http://www.solarelectric.com/Solar_Panels/solar_electric_panels.ht
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• Alternative Energy Sources - By Gary Chandler and Kevin Graham
By Amanda,
Charlotte and
Cherina