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In recent years, increased emphasis has been placed on healthy living and environmentally friendly products and lifestyles. As mankind progresses and continues to populate the planet with an increasing number of people, scientists foresee a future where precious resources like water, energy and other items will become scarce. In order to combat these future ills, several environmental initiatives have been put in place to help promote eco-friendly living. This includes certain benefits drivers of hybrid cars receive, the tax breaks available to home owners who install energy efficient appliances, and more.
One invention that aids the campaign to promote renewable resources is the solar panel. Although the photovoltaic effect, the process behind solar energy, was first observed by the scientist Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel in 1839, solar energy did not become accessible to the average homeowner as a way to power their residence until the 1980s. However, solar technology has been used frequently in other products in the United States since the 1950s, like in the space shuttles built by NASA and in most common calculating devices.
Now, companies like Outback Power and others are creating easier and more efficient ways to harness solar energy. Solar energy works by utilizing the photovoltaic effect. The photovoltaic effect is closely related to the more well known photoelectric effect, but should most certainly be distinguished from it. The photovoltaic effect is the process by which energy is created when electrons move up an energy level in the orbitals of certain cells. This is different from the photoelectric effect, which refers to the process by which electrons are emitted from certain materials when a specific frequency of light is shown upon them.
This effect was used by scientists studying the nature of light, when trying to classify light as either a wave or a particle. They eventually found that light has certain wave like properties AND some particle like properties. The photovoltaic effect is created in solar energy when light from the sun is absorbed in semiconductor materials, such as monocrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon or polycrystalline silicon. Then, the light causes several electrons in the semiconductor to be knocked loose. The electrons then transfer to a higher energy state in their orbital system, thus increasing the overall charge in the substance.
This charge can then be used as electrical energy in its normal capacities. Thus, solar energy is a 100% renewable power resource. Solar panels are generally composed in thin sheets to promote the highest efficiency possible. However, because the silicate materials from which the panels are formed are delicate, these sheets are extremely brittle, making them vulnerable to damage from wind, rain and other severe weather. Therefore, most solar panels are made with a thin sheet of glass over the top, that is generally industrial grade strength, to help protect the fragile panels.
While solar panels are generally thought of as being power sources for homes and other buildings, they can also be used to recharge Outback Power batteries and other devices. In fact, this is features on a popular commercial for the future of the vehicle: the electric car. In this commercial, a group of people are shown making happy travels in their electric car, but instead of stopping to fill up on gas, they stop at a small booth, complete with a solar panel on top and a small cord to attach to the vehicle.
This commercial is an attempt to show the benefits of solar power as a means to power cars in the future. Although the benefits of solar technology and its manufacturers, like Outback Power, are many, the amount of solar panels in use today is still not a very significant amount. This is most likely due to the fact that solar panels are much more expensive to install upfront. Outback Power devices have consistently higher costs, but they are cheaper overall.