Today, solar panels are the best and the most popular eco-friendly options for homeowners. Solar panels are made of electrically connected solar cells that convert sunlight into power. Despite that the mechanism is rather simple, there are a lot of facts about solar panels that the majority of users do not know. In this blog, we have collected the most interesting of them.

1) The concept of getting energy from the sun was predicted by Leonardo da Vinci, in the 15th century. The first solar cell was developed in the 19th century (with one 1% efficiency).

2) Solar energy is free and renewable, which means you will have to pay only for installation of your panels.

3) Users of solar panels save up to 35 million tons of carbon dioxide and 75 million barrels of oil a year. 

4)   Domestic solar systems generally convert about 20% of the light they receive into electricity while bigger panels can reach solar efficiency of over 40%. Since the technology is developing rapidly, the efficiency grows every year, which prices for solar panels continue to fall.

5) There exist two types of solar panels: photovoltaic (which produce electricity from the sunlight) and solar thermal panels (which absorb the sun’s warmth and heat water). The latter are mostly used for heating homes and swimming pools.

6) Solar panels do not require a lot of maintenance efforts. If you keep them clean, their lifespan can reach 30-40 years.

7) Solar panels do not require direct light to work. Although they reach maximum effectiveness during summer when the sun is bright, they still work on cloudy days in winter.