Call us now on 01604 861 999

Solar Panels

About Solar Panels

So what are solar panels, and why are they so great? Well, solar energy, as implied, originates from the Sun. Solar panels are also known as photovoltaic, meaning they convert light from the Sun, comprising particles known as photons (the “photo” part) into the electrical energy we all know and love (the “volt” part). As light from the Sun is renewable, we have a free energy source that is clean, quiet and won’t produce any undesired by products.

A VERY Short History of Solar Panels

High tech devices such as solar panels are relatively well known today, but when was the technology first developed? 1950’s? 1960’s? No, I’m afraid you’re all wrong, photovoltaic technology can be traced back over 100 years, when it was used to produce steam to power machinery. The first genuine solar cell was created by Henri Becquerel, who made the original discovery of the photovoltaic effect. As he didn’t have the same technological knowledge and equipment we do, his cells consisted of sheets of selenium coated with a thin layer of gold. From this beginning we went on to build what we know today as the solar panel.
Fast forward a few decades to 1941 when the American inventor Ressel Ohl patented the world’s first silicon solar cell. His invention inspired the first solar panel as such, which was used on space satellites to provide energy without the need for batteries. The first exposure to these most people would receive would be in the 1970’s, embedded in a calculator.

How Do Solar Panels Actually Work?

So we already know that solar panels take the light from the Sun, and change it into the electrical energy which we can use to provide power to a motorhome. But there is a lot more to it than this. The panels are made up of several smaller solar cells, which are themselves made up of silicon, phosphorus (which provides a positive charge) and boron (which provides a negative charge). As solar panels absorb the photons we mentioned earlier, in the form of light, they knock electrons out of their atomic orbits. As we all know, atoms are made up of the protons, neutrons and electrons. The protons and neutrons combine together to form a nucleus, and the electrons, with their negative charge orbit them – hence atomic orbit. When the photon knocks the electron out of its orbit, it begins to create a small current, a good start, but the electrons won’t all be moving in the same direction, and even if they were there wouldn’t be enough power created. To create a directional current an electromagnetic field is created between the phosphorus and the boron mentioned above. This pulls the free electrons into the directional current thereby becoming electrical energy which we can use. The entire process described above is known as the photovoltaic effect, which was mentioned before.

Do I Need A Solar Panel?

Many people get slightly carried away when they find out that they could be paying £5.00 a night for power at a campsite and immediately fit a solar panel without considering cost implications it may have. Firstly, in order to light 5 x 21W bulbs we would need about 10 amps worth of current. A solar panel that could achieve this would cost somewhere in the region of £800.00. We also have to consider that 10 amps would be a maximum figure, only achievable (in the UK) on those sunny days that we all dream about. On average, a reasonable figure would be around 7 amps for a constantly sunny day, which would only replace the power that you are using. In a motorhome this figure isn’t particularly high considering one of the aims of a solar panel is to help recharge the batteries, not merely put back what you are using at the time.
However, if you regularly camp, and think that a solar panel would be suitable for your vehicle then you need to purchase a high quality panel and regulator. If you would like any more advice or information on solar panels then give LAS a call.

For more information, call us now on 01604 861 999