solar panels & solar cells?

Question

ok what the flip is a solar panel? are solar panels and solar cells the same thing please help

Answer 1

solar cells convert sunlight into electricity

solar panels are giant panels containing thousands of solar cells

Answer 2

How Solar Cells Work
by Scott Aldous

Inside This Article
1.
Introduction to How Solar Cells Work

2.
Photovoltaic Cells: Converting Photons to Electrons

3.
How Silicon Makes a Solar Cell

4.
Anatomy of a Solar Cell

5.
Energy Loss in a Solar Cell

6.
Solar-powering a House

7.
Solving Solar-power Issues

8.
Solar-power Pros and Cons

9.
Lots More Information

10.
See all Physical Science articles

You've probably seen calculators that have solar cells -- calculators that never need batteries, and in some cases don't even have an off button. As long as you have enough light, they seem to work forever. You may have seen larger solar panels -- on emergency road signs or call boxes, on buoys, even in parking lots to power lights. Although these larger panels aren't as common as solar powered calculators, they're out there, and not that hard to spot if you know where to look. There are solar cell arrays on satellites, where they are used to power the electrical systems.

You have probably also been hearing about the "solar revolution" for the last 20 years -- the idea that one day we will all use free electricity from the sun. This is a seductive promise: On a bright, sunny day, the sun shines approximately 1,000 watts of energy per square meter of the planet's surface, and if we could collect all of that energy we could easily power our homes and offices for free.

Answer 3

Solar cells refers to the actual silicon cells that generate electricity. Solar electric panels are made up of a bunch of solar cells.

There are also solar panels that are used to heat water. Those do not have solar cells but rather a bunch of black pipe to circulate the water.

I have included a picture of a solar panel with solar cells in it. The cells are the black squares with rounded corners. There are 36 cells in this panel.

Answer 4

A solar cell is just a single piece of silicon (a pn junction). Now if you take a load of solar cells, connect them up and encapsulate them in a protective package, you have a solar panel. BTW, solar cells are usually called photovoltaic cells.

Answer 5

solar cell is a solar cell
solar panel are many solar cells....

Typically people refer to a single solar panel as a solar panel, even though they should be reffering to it as a solar cell.

A solar panel is a panel of solar cells working in conjunction with each other.

I hope that makes sense it is just the incorrect terminology people always use.

Answer 6

It takes a TON of solar cells to make a solar panel. A solar panel basically turns solar energy (light from the sun) into usable energy (electricity) for you to use in your home.

Answer 7

HEY! READ THIS! Okay, i had do to a huge documentry for my school, so here it goes. Those huge things you see in the desert are solar fields. They are a mirror which reflect the heat of the sun into a oil tube. The oil gets hot and boils water which spins a turbine, then producing electricity for the grid.
Solar cell, most likely photosynteyic, are used in smaller establishments and cost more for a large scale use, but cheaper for single homes, ect. They abosrb the light directly and convert in directly into energy. A common misconseption is you need to have solar panels where its hot. I have heard of the possibilty of putting some in maine(cold) and space already uses them(very cold). Good luck with your sun!

Answer 8

solar cells make up a solar panel.

Answer 9

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