| As with many relatively new or recent innovations, | | | | the solar panels most commonly associated with |
| there are plenty of myths and misinformation | | | | supplying solar electricity. |
| surrounding the subjects of solar and renewable | | | | Lighten Up |
| energy. One of the myths is that solar electricity is | | | | The solar panels seen on most rooftops and that are |
| produced using the sun's heat. Not so - we reveal the | | | | used to generate electricity are also known as PV |
| truth surrounding the myth here. | | | | (photovoltaic) panels, which, in fact, use the sun's light |
| Heat Treatment | | | | rather than its heat to produce electricity. The term |
| It seems reasonable to assume that solar panels | | | | "photovoltaic" refers to the process by which packets |
| would produce electricity from the sun's heat, since | | | | of sunlight, known as photons, are converted by solar |
| heat is used in the traditional generation of electricity by | | | | cells into electricity. The "photovoltaic effect" was |
| the utility companies at their power plants. And, in a | | | | discovered by Frenchman Edmund Becquerel, who |
| way, that may be close to the mark, because there | | | | found that when silicon was exposed to sunlight, it |
| are actually two types of solar panels, one of which | | | | produced a small electric charge. |
| does, in fact, use the sun's heat. This type of panel is | | | | Solar As We Know It |
| known as a solar hot water panel (also referred to as | | | | This discovery lead to the development of solar cells |
| a solar thermal panel or solar collector). | | | | composed of silicon, which are then linked together to |
| These panels do use the sun's heat to heat water, | | | | form a panel. Several panels are then combined into |
| which is then moved via tubes into the building on | | | | an array to produce the electricity needed to cover |
| which they're mounted to be used to provide heat or | | | | some or all of a household's electrical needs. |
| hot water. Solar thermal panels are somewhat large | | | | So, although solar panels do exist that use the sun's |
| and unwieldy (dark, shallow, rectangular box-like | | | | heat, these panels do not produce electricity and are |
| shapes, about 8 feet (2.4 meters) in length by 4 feet | | | | not the ones most people think of when considering |
| (1.2 meters)) and are usually secured to a building's | | | | installing a solar energy system to reduce or eliminate |
| roof in an array, which, collectively, is known as a solar | | | | their electricity bill. But, if you've got sunshine to supply |
| hot water heater. These panels have been in use for | | | | both heat for hot water and light for electricity, then |
| residential water heating for decades, but these aren't | | | | why not take advantage of the sun and choose both! |