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Parabolic solar panels are mirrored panels, which reflect the sun's rays to a central point. Used with hundreds of other parabolic solar panels, they project the sun rays to a centralised tower which then produces heat and steam to run large turbines inside. The turbine, thus produces electricity.
The Abengoa Mojave Solar Project will be the largest installation of its kind in the United States with a capacity to produce cleanly electricity for 90,000 homes. The project will use 7kn square of mirrors to generate 250 megawatts of concentrated solar energy.
The parabolic solar panels are arranged in troughs that track the sun as it moves through the day. The solar radiation hitting the mirrors focus on a metallic heat absorbing pipes encased in glass. The focal point is where it warms oil to temperatures of over 400 degree C.
This super heated synthetic oil are pumped down the pipes to the central block, were the heat exchangers absorb the energy to create steam that drives the turbines.
The benefit of this solar installation is the power does not drop suddenly because a cloud has gone over. The heat is then stored and continues to flow even when dark.
Not suitable for domestic solar installations, for this, you will need pv solar panels:
This installation consists of a set of photovoltaic, solar cells. These panels transform sun light (photons) into direct current (DC) electricity. This passes through an inverter, to become alternating current (AC).
This electricity can either be used within your home, or exported (sold back) to your energy company. A pv solar system can be installed on your roof by an MCS accredited installer, and you can receive attractive government incentives for going solar.
Photovoltaic, solar panels can be created through different technologies and using different materials. Most of the panels can be categorized by technology and are either mono crystalline silicon, poly crystalline silicon, or thin film. The main difference between the panels will be in:
a) the efficiency
b) the lifetime
c) the aesthetics
Solar efficiency is the amount of power your solar panel transforms into electricity per square meter. Standard testing shows that 1.000 kw h falls on one sq meter in a year. Solar panel output given a certain efficiency is expressed in Watt-peak (Wp). This means a low efficiency (6%) panel would produce 60Wp per sq meter, a medium efficiency (12% panel) about 120Wp per sq meter and a high efficiency (18%) panel about 180Wp per sq meter.
New thin film panels in general have much lower efficiencies, while standard PV mono crystalline silicon panels can reach higher efficiencies.
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