Solar Energy Articles

How Are Solar Panels Made?

Solar energy has long been grabbing attention of the scientists and researchers as true alternate solution to fossil fuel energy. Noticing the enormous abundance of sunlight available to us as a blessing from our sun, it is not unusual to wish to tap this energy which has been there since the beginning of time and use it drive our engines and homes. However the solar energy even though it is available in abundance, the efforts to use this energy and transfer it into a usable form and drives our day to day appliances has been in vain. That is why solar energy has not become our prime source of our energy requirements. We are either relying on hydroelectric power which in turn causes environmental disaster or we burn coal or use nuclear energy to generate electricity.

The main reason why we are not able to use the solar energy is our solar panels are not able to tap more than 20% of its energy. This results in huge investment cost but low return of investment. This makes the investment in solar energy unattractive and therefore is becoming less and less popular. However researchers all round the world have been able to develop solar panels that will tap this solar energy more efficiently. In order to understand how this is possible we need to understand how solar panels are made. There are two basic types of solar panels, first is the crystalline solar panels made of crystalline silicon and other is amorphous silicon panel which is made from amorphous silicon.

In order to make Crystalline solar panels, thin disks are cut from silicon in its crystalline form which are .8 cm thick. These disks are then subjected to a careful polishing and repairing process to ensure that no damage occurred during the cutting process has remained unattended. The thickness of these disks is so less that they appear to be wafer like disks which gives them the name “silicon wafers”. Now for the main part of the process, adding the “dopants”. Dopants are materials that are added to these silicon wafer disks so that they get electrically charged. The positive and the negative charges are added accordingly in these silicon disks and then are joined together so that electrons when subjected to sunlight can flow and conduct electricity. These disks now with the dopants in them are aligned horizontal and vertical manner to form a matrix pattern forming a solar panel.

These solar panels are then covered with glass plate in order to protect them from any physical damage or scratches. The solar energy that our panels receive has two types of energy light and heat energy. These solar panels are then fitted with a special type of cement. This is conductive cement which transfers the thermal energy from the solar panels this preventing the solar panels from the heat. This method of manufacturing solar panels is quite traditional and has been used by many solar panel manufacturers.

The amorphous silicon solar panels are made quite differently. The manufacturing process of amorphous silicon panels involves depositing silicon alloys in various layers. The solar cells made by this process are far more efficient and are capable of absorbing a wider range of solar spectrum. This type of panel manufacturing is now becoming very popular and is fast growing into an industry. The material cost of such solar panel is also cheap. The solar cells made from with this process have special ability to continue giving the same output even when the entire array of cells has come under shade. This prevents the circuit from being breaking and thus maintains the same energy output.

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