Photovoltaic Solar Energy 101

If you are a parent, then one day it is likely that your child will come to you and ask you what photovoltaic solar energy is. Even if you are not a parent, it might benefit you to know the answer to that question. Society today is looking for new solutions to the energy crisis that is hitting developed countries hard, knowing alternatives to traditional energy solutions is useful.

First, let's look at what photovoltaic solar energy is. Solar photovoltaics refer to solar cells that take in the radiation from the sun and convert it into direct current electricity. For those that are unsure, direct current is the source of energy that typically feeds the energy needs of your household. The studies done in this area have allowed the technology used in photovoltaic solar energy efficiency to double every two years in the past decade.

This research has also lead to a number of breakthroughs that decrease the cost of solar energy. These breakthroughs include using less expensive materials, or less amounts of the expensive material, and increasing the efficiency of those materials with conversion from solar radiation to direct current. Increasing the efficiency generally means that less material is used for production of energy, thereby decreasing the costs necessary for solar panel production.

Now let's look into the uses for photovoltaic solar energy. Simply put, this can be an efficient way to power your entire home. Many people tire of paying costly energy bills, this is understandable. When people get so fed up, they start looking for alternative energy sources. Alternative energy sources can be a variety of different options but two come to mind primarily: wind energy and sun energy. The advantage of both is that they will always occur. The disadvantage to both is that they are not always predictable. Many consumers choose the suns energy over the wind because it is more reliable, and there is no noise by product that can become an annoyance at least and have health consequences at most.

If you are looking into solar energy solutions, you don't necessarily need to wire your entire home with a large solar energy solution with a backup power supply, you can invest in separate pieces that are not such a large investment. The range of products that use photovoltaic solar energy is quite diverse and includes items such as mobile phone chargers and car battery chargers. If you drive an RV, solar panels can often be installed and adapted to ensure you have a reliable power source.

Most of the photovoltaic solar energy production is being tied into new buildings that are also connected to the local utilities power grid. Tying solar systems into the grid offers a backup power solution and additional solar energy that gets generated may also pay off with a check from the local utility company paying for excess energy.

Photovoltaic energy has been around for a number of years and will continue to do so. The product range is diverse, and the science involved in the field is expanding.

Understanding how photovoltaic's work is crucial to implementing a solar energy solution in your home.

Jakob Jelling runs http://www.solarpanelmanual.com which is a guide to solar energy. Visit his web site to learn more about photovoltaic solar energy.