Long story short, a solar panel works by generating electricity when particles of sunlight, or photons, knock electrons free from atoms, setting them in motion. This flow of electrons is electricity, and solar panels are designed to capture this flow, turning it into a usable electric current. This process is called the photovoltaic effect and is the foundational chemical and physical process behind the vast majority of solar technology.
The photovoltaic process works through the following simplified steps:
While solar technology continues to improve, the core components have not changed much, and, while the finer points are quite detailed, the basic concept is simple. Grid-tied solar arrays need solar panels and one or more inverters.
This stuff is important! We think our customers should be able to learn all about the technology we're installing on their homes. Solar energy products continue to improve as we innovate and refine the technology. At ReVision we can guarantee quality and continued service for our customers, no matter what kind of solar panels we're installing for you.
Nearly all solar panels sold in the United States are crystalline silicon modules (cSi), a form of solar panel that consists of rigid silicon wafers (which may be ‘poly’ or ‘mono’ crystalline – referring to the process by which they are manufactured and grade of silicon from which they are cut) housed in a weatherproof enclosure (tempered glass and aluminum).
All electronics are soldered to a backing board and have positive and negative electrical outputs that allow the solar panel to be connected to others in a string. This is the same basic design of solar collector that has been used since the 1970s.
We frequently hear about upcoming future generations of PV, but we strongly feel that cSi solar panels remain the right choice for the New England market. Solar modules in our region need to endure decades of abuse from wind, snow, and hail, and we know that cSi solar panels can do that. With over 100,000 solar panels in the field, we can say that roof leaks and module failures are nearly unheard of.
Lest you think that a 30+ year old technology is stale and dusty, recall that loudspeaker technology is essentially the same as it’s been since the 1920s!
The advancements in cSi technology have mainly focused on reducing the cost of module production and improvements in performance. For example, in 2009 a typical 3′ x 5′ collector would be rated to produce around 230 watts of electricity. These days, the same size panel may produce more than 400 watts!
Residential solar installations across the globe utilize 66 cell solar panels whereas 72 cell panels are more common in large commercial ground mounted systems. We have experience with both panel types and have found that smaller panels are superior for rooftop solar installations in our region for these important reasons:
The standard size solar panel is the clear winner for our residential systems to stand up to our winters and keep our installers safe, without sacrificing solar production.
Absolutely! Nearly all reputable manufacturers will offer a 25-year power production warranty (guaranteeing output of ~85% over 25 years, though people have found collectors from the 1970s that still produce 100% of their rated power today). The better manufacturers will also offer at least a 10-year aesthetic warranty, which covers defects in the look of the collector that do not affect performance.
Know that any proposal received from ReVision Energy includes modules that any employee-owner of our company would be proud to install on their own roof.
In addition to being reliable, solar panels are highly recyclable. If you'd like to learn more about what happens to solar panels when they die, check out our blog post about solar panel recycling.
