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Question:

what do we mean by efficiency of a solar panel?

when we say a solar panel has 20% efficiency, do we mean that it converts 20% of sunlight reaching it into electricity or that it converts 20% of visible light(which is only 7% of sunlight) into electricity?

Answer:

Sunlight power panels had been the go-to choice for many years. They are among the many oldest, most efficient and most liable methods to produce electrical energy from the solar. Every module is made out of a single silicon crystal, and is more efficient, although more pricey, than the more moderen and less expensive polycrystalline and thin-film PV panel technologies. You can normally appreciate them through their color which is more often than not black or iridescent blue. The silicon crystals have lengthy existence and they may be able to withstand wear and tear with out degrading its workability. Additionally solar is a main source renewable vigour as far as the sunlight method is worried. Sunlight has little influence within the residing creature. So sun panel should be in practice
Photo-voltaic solar cells use the visible light range (photons) for the conversion of sun's rays to electrical energy. The potential of solar radiation is ,353 Watts per square meter, but that is mostly a measure of heat, or infrared radiation. The visible light is actually a small portion of the spectrum. You have struck on a problem associated with photo-voltaic cells. Infrared radiation acts to heat up p-v cells (heat stress), causing them to be much less efficient. It would be interesting to see a hybrid p-v panel that is cooled with fluid or air running through it. This would increase efficiency of the p-v process while providing a heating source. This in turn could be used directly for heating or for production of electricity through a generator system.
That portion of the sun's light to which it responds, of which it converts 20% to electricity.

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