Alternative food sources are increasingly entering our daily lives. Companies and enterprises are interested in their use. The policy of many states is aimed at replacing traditional sources of electricity, which have certain disadvantages, with alternative ones. Such devices have good performance characteristics and their use is advisable in the modern world. A good example is solar panels, on the basis of which entire solar power plants are built. Such devices are widely used in electronics, as an independent power source for many household appliances.
The sun is a gigantic source of energy that can be fully adapted to our needs. As a result of nuclear fusion, the star produces such an amount of thermal, electromagnetic and other types of energy within one second that it would be possible to provide all of humanity for half a million years to come. Modern solar panels currently convert a negligible part of this radiation.
Without going into the technical details of the operation of such devices, we can briefly consider the principleaction on which solar panels work. It is quite simple: they convert radiation energy into electrical energy, which is transmitted to working devices or accumulated in rechargeable batteries.
Modern solar panels differ in power, design features and scope. A good example of their use is an ordinary lantern designed for street lighting. There is no need to lay a power cable to it, it does not consume electricity. With it, it is quite possible to solve the problem of lighting at night.
In addition, autonomous power sources are quite mobile and are widely used away from cities, for example, on hiking trips or research expeditions. Solar panels for a laptop will provide a full charge of the battery of the device. Their use is advisable away from the main power sources. The size of the battery is optimized for the average user and its transportation will not cause any problems. They are distinguished by power, they can easily be used as a constant source of power during daylight hours, for example, for a radio.
Currently, work is underway to increase the efficiency of solar panels. Recall that the theoretical efficiency limit for such devices does not exceed 43 percent. The rest of the energy is spent on useless heating of the panels, which worsens not only their technical characteristics. Excessive heating of the device reducesits service life and may damage the battery. With an increase in efficiency, additional opportunities open up to reduce the area used and, accordingly, this will affect the overall dimensions.
The appearance on the market of devices that provide household appliances with alternative energy sources radically changes the very idea of their application. Independence from the supply network provides additional opportunities for the average consumer.
