What are solar panels?

Everyone’s talking about solar power lately and it can get quite confusing for the average person who’s not up to speed on the subject. One of the most common questions that people ask is” What’s the difference between solar panels and solar cells?” It’s an honest question, though the answer is actually quite simple.

A solar cell is a component that takes solar rays and converts them directly into energy. These units are very small hence their name and their output is also very low. They are one of the most common elements of any solar power system and without them the system would not function. The reason for this is that solar panels are made up of several solar cells.

The output of the panel is dependent on the number, size, and quality of the cells themselves. Typically however the average panel is made up of dozens of these small cells and without them the system would not work. Solar panels on homes are rather small sized and meant for powering typical home appliances or providing general amounts of electricity. Industrial panels however are another story.

Industrial sized solar panels are massive in size and power output and are meant to power heavy duty machinery. The solar cells that they are made of are extremely compact and very expensive to make. The energy output they offer is substantially higher than that of what you would find on the average panel therefore making them ideal for heavy duty use. Due note that the overall output of any solar cell is heavily dependent on the amount of sunlight it receives.