With the invention of the solar cells in 1954 at the Bell Laboratories, we have been focusing on developing the technology to capture and store this energy from the Sun and use it as electrical energy for consumption.
India is seeing a quantum jump in the production, application, and installation of solar panels with a target of 100 GW grid-connected solar power plants by the year 2022, by the manifesto of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Government of India. This is because India itself gets about 5,000 trillion kWh per year energy over India’s land area with most parts receiving 4-7 kWh per sq. m per day. From the perspective of this state, there are solar panel manufacturers in West Bengal who are well entrenched in the business of manufacturing solar panels in conjunction with the Government’s plan of projects.
Some crucial facts about solar energy and solar panels which everybody needs to know are –
Solar energy –
- 174,000 terawatts of energy consistently strike the earth as solar radiation at any moment, even on the cloudiest of days.
- One hour of sunlight is equivalent to one year’s worth of energy for the planet.
- Solar energy produces no pollution when generating electricity.
- Sunlight travels 90 million miles to Earth in 10 minutes.
- Solar power plants can last more than 40 years.
- At around 1,000 acres, the world’s largest solar power plant is located in the Mojave Desert.
- Solar energy is the cheapest source of energy in the world.
- Solar energy users save up to 35 tons of carbon dioxide and 75 million barrels of oil each year.
Solar panels are a marvel of modern technology. The amazing array of photovoltaic cells can harness the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity. The following are some amazing facts about solar cells which are interesting to know.
- Alexandre Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect in 1839.
- Russell Ohl created the first photovoltaic cell in 1941.
- Bell Laboratories developed the first modern solar cell in 1954.
- Over 2 million solar panel systems have been installed in the U. S. alone.
- Homeowners experience “break-even” on their solar panel installation in under a decade.
- Solar panels are the fastest energy source to set up.
- The West Bengal Government has a target to harness 5336 MW of solar power through grid-connected projects and rooftops in the state. There are hosts of top solar panel manufacture in West Bengal who has been instrumental in this project initiative of the Government.
- Solar panels produce 10 kilowatt-hours of electricity per square foot.
- Solar panels don’t need direct sunlight to generate electricity.
- To power, the whole earth with solar energy would require 191,000 square miles of solar panels.
- In 30 years, the average rooftop solar panel system can reduce pollution by 100 tons of carbon dioxide.
- The average solar panel has a 25-year warranty.
- The most efficient solar panels are made from monocrystalline Silicon.