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Solar Panels
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Photovoltaic or "solar cells" are made of Silicon and can turn sunlight directly into DC electricity. Each Cell produces a small amount of current. By connecting many Cells together and placing them on larger Panels, the electric current produced can be significant. This can be used directly in a DC Appliance, stored in
Batteries, or converted to Alternating Current to operate AC Appliances using an "inverter."
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Photovoltaic Cells
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While extremely simple, Photovoltaic Cells are expensive compared to other generating sources. While the Cells themselves are fairly reliable, the Sun's rays are not a very predictable resource in most areas. As a result, other equipment such as battery storage systems and an "inverter" to convert the DC current to AC are often needed. "Solar" or "PV Power" has consequently been used primarily for specialized situations (i.e. Satellites, Portable Electronic Equipment, and Power) in remote locations.
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