ATP: How Solar Cells Work
Tired of paying The Man for your power? Before you go off-grid, this is the video you want to see. We'll give you the background on solar cell function and performance, and talk about some of the other parts you'll need to get the job done.
Welcome! Today I really want to cover solar cells and solar power systems - partly because renewable energy is such a huge pursuit in our community, partly because remote applications are a thing we occasionally do (shout out to all the burners!) and partly because I think the functional mechanism of a solar cell is SO COOL!
Now, do you need to know how that works to put together a remote power station? No, you don't. Do you need to know what kinds of materials are used, why they're so expensive, or why they're so inefficient? Probably not. But with all of this background information, you're going to be in a much better position to make informed decisions on solar gear. Nothing makes you a better design engineer than when you've figured out the whys.
So grab a beverage and a bag of chips, and settle in for some serious solar talk.
