Photovoltaic Power

Solar power is the energy generated by the sun as it hits the Earth. Simply drying clothes in the sun is a basic and every effective way of using solar power. Currently, there are two main types of solar power: thermal and photovoltaic power.

Photovoltaic power is sun power harnessed through crystalline silicon panels. The solar panels capture sunlight and turn it into electricity, which is then stored in a battery bank. When battery charges drop below a certain level, the solar panels recharge the batteries.

Photovoltaic panels can be mounted on a rooftop or a freestanding solar array rack. One important issue related to photovoltaic power is efficiency, that is, the ability to convert sunlight into electricity. Manufacturers sometimes include the panel�s minimum or maximum efficiency in their specs sheets. A simple formula to identify the efficiency of a panel is to divide the panel�s maximum power rating by its area. That will tell you how much power per unit of area the panel generates, also known as energy density.

Currently, crystalline silicon based panels average about 12% efficiency and can reach 20% in the case of more advanced commercial applications. Researchers are constantly working on increasing efficiency in order to popularize the use of photovoltaic power, one of the cleanest methods of energy generation. Therefore photovoltaic power density is bound to increase.