How do solar panels work and how are they installed?
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Solar photovoltaic panels contain arrays of solar cells that convert light into electricity. Solar cells, or PV cells, rely on the photovoltaic effect, which describes how certain materials can convert sunlight into electricity to absorb the energy of the sun and cause current to flow between two oppositely charged layers. Individual solar cells provide a relatively small amount of power, but electrical output is significant when connected together as an array making up a panel.\n\nOn a bright day, the sun delivers about 1 kW/m² to the Earth's surface. Typical solar panels have an average efficiency of 12%, with the best commercially available panels at 20%, and recent prototype panels at around 30%. This would result in 200 W/m². However, not all days have bright sunlight, and therefore not enough solar energy can be captured.\n\nA solar water heater uses the sun's energy to heat a fluid, which is used to transfer the heat to a heat storage vessel. In the home, for example, sanitary hot water would be heated and stored in a hot water cylinder. Panels on the roof have an absorber plate to which fluid circulation tubes are attached. The absorber, usually coated with a dark selective coating, assures the conversion of the sun's radiation into heat, while fluid circulating through the tubes carries the heat away where it can be used or stored. The heated fluid is pumped to a heat exchanger, which is a coil in the storage vessel or an external heat exchanger where it gives off its heat and is then circulated back to the panel to be reheated. This provides an effective way of harnessing the sun's energy.
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Light Emitting Diodes and How They Work.\n\nhttp://electronics.howstuffworks.com/led.htm
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you can purchase solar systems all over the place, they are made by dozens of different companies.  however, if you are planning on convering your entire home over to solar you should definitley read more about them as it would require a very large number of cells for the average house.  in addition, the setup can be quite complex
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Extremely difficult. Solar cells are semiconductor devices, just like computer chips, but less complex. Very expensive equipment and ultra-pure materials are required.
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Light shining on a properly created solar cell. A solar cell can consist of an impure (doped) silicon (usually with phosphorus) with metal wire laid on top of it and then covered in glass (for protection, perhaps it might help build up the heat, but I'm not sure). When the light's energy hits the silicon, it knocks free electrons (from the phosphorus mostly) and then the wires will pick it up. Howstuffworks is a great site for this sort of question.
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The answer depends on how big or how much each solar panel produces.  But you definetly need at least 1,200 Watts. You can either try to produce the energy Chemically or Mechanically.  Chemically you need Photo Electric Panels Large enough to produce 1,200 watts.  Mechanically you would use mirrors to focus the suns rays onto a boiler to create steam and then turn a turbine generator.
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This question could be interpretted two different ways: (1) What drives the sun to produce heat/enegery? and (2) Describe the process of using the solar energy to power modern conventions.\n\nSomebody else already attempted the latter, so I'll go for #1.\n\nThe sun, right now, is fusing hydrogen into helium to produce its energy.  It's been doing this for a long time, and will continue to do so until it runs out of hydrogen.  When this happens, it'll start fusing the helium, and so on.\n\nHope this helps.
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A solar cell (or a "photovoltaic" cell) is a semiconductor device that converts photons from the sun (solar light) into electricity. In general a solar cell that includes both solar and non-solar sources of light (such as photons from incandescent bulbs) is termed a photovoltaic cell. Fundamentally, the device needs to fulfill only two functions: photogeneration of charge carriers (electrons and holes) in a light-absorbing material, and separation of the charge carriers to a conductive contact that will transmit the electricity. This conversion is called the photovoltaic effect, and the field of research related to solar cells is known as photovoltaics.\n\nSolar cells have many applications. Historically solar cells have been used in situations where electrical power from the grid is unavailable, such as in remote area power systems, Earth orbiting satellites, consumer systems, e.g. handheld calculators or wrist watches, remote radiotelephones and water pumping applications. Recently solar cells are particularly used in assemblies of solar modules (photovoltaic arrays) connected to the electricity grid through an inverter, often in combination with a net metering arrangement.\n\nSolar cells are regarded as one of the key technologies towards a sustainable energy supply.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThree generations of development\n\n[edit] First\nThe first generation photovoltaic, consists of a large-area, single layer p-n junction diode, which is capable of generating usable electrical energy from light sources with the wavelengths of solar light. These cells are typically made using silicon wafer. First generation photovoltaic cells (also known as silicon wafer-based solar cells) are the dominant technology in the commercial production of solar cells, accounting for more than 86% of the solar cell market.\n\n\n[edit] Second\nThe second generation of photovoltaic materials is based on the use of thin-film deposits of semiconductors. These devices were initially designed to be high-efficiency, multiple junction photovoltaic cells. Later, the advantage of using a thin-film of material was noted, reducing the mass of material required for cell design. This contributed to a prediction of greatly reduced costs for thin film solar cells. However, most of the assembly costs for depositing thin film solar cells are still significantly higher than for bulk silicon technologies. Another advantage of the reduced mass is that less support is needed when placing panels on rooftops and it allows fitting panels on light materials, even textiles.\n\n\n[edit] Third\nThird generation photovoltaics are very different from the other two, broadly defined as semiconductor devices which do not rely on a traditional p-n junction to separate photogenerated charge carriers. These new devices include photoelectrochemical cells, Polymer solar cells, and nanocrystal solar cells.\n\n\n[edit] History\nMain article: Timeline of solar cells\nThe term "photovoltaic" comes from the Greek φώς:phos meaning "light", and the name of the Italian physicist Volta, after whom the volt (and consequently voltage) are named. It means literally of light and electricity.\n\nThe photovoltaic effect was first recognised in 1839 by French physicist Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel. However it was not until 1883 that the first solar cell was built, by Charles Fritts, who coated the semiconductor selenium with an extremely thin layer of gold to form the junctions. The device was only around 1% efficient. Russell Ohl patented the modern solar cell in 1946 (US2402662, "Light sensitive device"). Sven Ason Berglund had a prior patent concerning methods of increasing the capacity of photosensitive cells. The modern age of solar power technology arrived in 1954 when Bell Laboratories, experimenting with semiconductors, accidentally found that silicon doped with certain impurities was very sensitive to light.\n\nThis resulted in the production of the first practi
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its done by counting how long it takes for light from the planet takes reach here. usually between a period of dark and light. same as the sun
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I would guess the sun would be the energy in SOLAR powered anything. Solar = sun
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I would suggest that you consider installing two different solar devises; one for heating and one for electricity.  Water can be heated by collecting solar energy in a panel that allows sunlight to pass through a treated glass or plastic pane and shine on a black convoluted surface that avoids reflection.  The heat produced can not escapes as easily as sunlight enters.  This is the greenhouse effect that heats your car on a rather cool day.  Inside the solar panel there are tubes or pipes that circulate cooling water to carry off the heat to an insulated storage tank.  In cold regions the cooling water must contain antifreeze.  The panel shoud be placed on a roof nearly perpendicular to a line from the sun at noon durning the cold season.  In the upper USA that would be a southern exposure.  The solar panel can be used to pre-heat water that is further heated by an electric or gas waterheater.  The number of panels you will need will depend on the number of people using hot water and whether you use it as the sole source of warm water or as preheat.  Expect panels to cost hundreds of dollars, depending on whether you install them yourself. \n\nFor electrical loads, you should consider installing photovoltaic solar panels which produce direct current (DC).  This can be used for heating water or running electrical equipment and lights but heating may use up the entire capacity of the panel(s).  You may need a battery to store energy and a converter to provide the correct voltage (and AC?) as desired.  Expect voltaic solar panels to cost less as new technologies come to market.  DayStar is building a factory now to produce cheaper continuous film cells (that could cover a roof?).  \n\nThe wattage for various items you wish to power is usually included on the manufacturer's identification plate and depends on the size and model you have or wish to buy.  Good luck.
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Photo-electric is the process that solar cell use to priduce electricity.  Given that you wrote about 150 words just to explain a simple question, I do not believe 5 pages is totally outside of your range.\nThe following link will be a good start, but DON'T COPY IT VERBATIM.  Teachers have access to the internet as well; try to put it in your own words, and even more important, try to understand; that is what education is for: understanding.
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How Does the Windmill Work?\n\nWind Energy\nWind is an indirect source of solar energy. It is caused by the uneven heating of the earth by the sun and the resulting redistribution of air to equalize energy in the atmosphere moving air from areas of high pressure to areas of lower pressure. The energy of the wind is transferred to the windmill’s sails where it is harnessed to perform work.\n\nThe cap of the windmill is turned with the winch attached to the bottom of the tail pole until the sails face the direction of the wind. Depending on the wind speed, wind boards are installed on the leading edge of the sails and canvas sail-cloths are unfurled across the sail-frames. The Miller climbs the sail-frame using the sail-bars like rungs of a ladder attaching the canvas to the cleats on the whip. High winds require less open sail than low wind. The Miller determines the amount of sail surface required based on wind speed and partially furls (reefs) the sails as required. The sails catch the wind and turn the wind-shaft.\n\nThe wind-shaft which is connected to the brake-wheel can be stopped with the brake which consists of a band of friction blocks encircling the brake-wheel attached to the brake lever and controlled via a rope near the tail pole attached to the brake lever. The turning brake-wheel turns the wallower connected to the upright shaft on the fifth level. A wood wheel on the fourth level is used to adjust any irregular spinning of the upright shaft.\n\nThe upright shaft is connected to a large gear called the spur-wheel on the third level. Power to run many things in the windmill is drawn from this wheel. Two stone-nuts turned by the spur-wheel drive quant shafts in turn rotating the runner stones; the top stones of the grinding stone pairs. The lower stone of the grinder is the bedstone; it remains stationary. The spur-wheel also turns a third lantern gear (trundle) to drive power transfer belts, pulleys and shafts used to operate the grain elevators, sifters, grain separator, corn sheller and a vacuum system.\n\nHow is Grain Ground into Flour?\nGrain and flour move through the system using grain elevators and gravity. Grain is carried into the windmill and poured into first level hoppers. From there it is cleaned in the basement with the corn sheller and grain separator. Grain elevators carry cleaned grain to the third level hoppers which hold it until it is dropped into the second level grinders. Corn & oats are ground in the west grinder and dropped into a ceiling mounted sifter on the first level. Wheat & rye are ground in the east grinder. The flour drops into an elevator at the ceiling of the first level, is carried back up to a hopper on the third level and dropped into the sifter on the second level. The sifted flour is stored in hoppers suspended from the ceiling on the first level.\n\nInteresting Notes\nThe windmill contains two scales; a floor scale in the windmill and a wagon scale outside the north end of the windmill. The scale inside the windmill can weigh individual bags of grain. The scale outside is used for weighing loaded and unloaded wagons.
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the above one of solar cell is gr8\nor you can make a model of a wind mill, attach it to a motor and then, artificially, rotate it to produce current in the motor and connect it to a small bulb to show it lighting
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I think you mean photovoltaic - photocells that generate a voltage when illuminated
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"Photovoltaic cells convert sunlight directly into electricity. When sunlight strikes a PV cell, electrons are dislodged, creating an electrical current."
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runs with solar energy