ActivePure is effective against RNA viruses like COVID19 Blog Contact Us ▼ Call CoolBlew Solar PV Home » HVAC & Plumbing Services » Solar Panel Installers in Peoria, AZ » Solar PV Solar cells, also called photovoltaic (PV) cells by scientists, convert sunlight directly into electricity. PV gets its name from the process of converting light (photons) to electricity (voltage), which is called the PV effect. The PV effect was discovered in 1954, when scientists at Bell Telephone discovered that silicon (an element found in sand) created an electric charge when exposed to sunlight. Soon solar cells were being used to power space satellites and smaller items like calculators and watches. Today, thousands of people power their homes and businesses with individual solar PV systems. Utility companies are also using PV technology for large power stations. Solar panels used to power homes and businesses are typically made from solar cells combined into modules that hold about 40 cells. A typical home will use about 10 to 20 solar panels to power the home. The panels are mounted at a fixed angle facing south, or they can be mounted on a tracking device that follows the sun, allowing them to capture the most sunlight. Many solar panels combined together to create one system is called a solar array. For large electric utility or industrial applications, hundreds of solar arrays are interconnected to form a large utility-scale PV system. Traditional solar cells are made from silicon, are usually flat-plate, and generally are the most efficient. Second-generation solar cells are called thin-film solar cells because they are made from amorphous silicon or nonsilicon materials such as cadmium telluride. Thin film solar cells use layers of semiconductor materials only a few micrometers thick. Because of their flexibility, thin film solar cells can double as rooftop shingles and tiles, building facades, or the glazing for skylights. Third-generation solar cells are being made from a variety of new materials besides silicon, including solar inks using conventional printing press technologies, solar dyes, and conductive plastics. Some new solar cells use plastic lenses or mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto a very small piece of high efficiency PV material. The PV material is more expensive, but because so little is needed, these systems are becoming cost effective for use by utilities and industry. However, because the lenses must be pointed at the sun, the use of concentrating collectors is limited to the sunniest parts of the country. Services Air Conditioning Residential Commercial Refrigeration Evaporative Coolers Heating Plumbing Water Heaters Solar Solar Attic Fans Solar PV Solar Thermal 10 Things To Know Before Going Solar Electrical Service Plans Contact Us Today Call TODAY to schedule your Home Energy Evaluation (623) 872-2900 Recent Articles & Blog Posts Stay up to date with everything we do by subscribing to our blog, and reading out posts below! December 3, 2021 Holiday HVAC Gift Giving Ideas November 24, 2021 This Thanksgiving Holiday, Cool Blew Thanks You November 19, 2021 Don’t Let These Household Issues Spoil Your Thanksgiving November 12, 2021 Save Money on Your Utilities Call TODAY to schedule your Home Energy Evaluation (623) 872-2900 AZROC #’s 176357, 267895, 258992 Find Us On... Navigation Home Services Air Conditioning Commercial AC Repair Heating Plumbing Blog About Us Contact Us Service Areas Peoria Surprise Phoenix Glendale Sun City Sun City West Scottsdale Mesa Gilbert Tempe Chandler 8927 W Bloomfield Rd #135, Peoria, AZ 85381 15911 N 174th Ave, Surprise, AZ 85388 © Copyright Cool Blew Inc. 2021 | All Rights Reserved | Servicing the Greater Phoenix Area | Privacy Policy | Sitemap