Basic Understanding Of How Solar Panels Work

Exposure to light changes silicon s electrical characteristics which generates an electric current.

Basic understanding of how solar panels work.

Solar panels work by absorbing sunlight with photovoltaic cells generating direct current dc energy and then converting it to usable alternating current ac energy with the help of inverter technology. First there are panels which collect the sunlight and turn it into electricity. You will be able to identify the key components needed in a basic photovoltaic solar panel system such as is found on a house or building and explain the function of each component in the system. Simply put a solar panel works by allowing photons or particles of light to knock electrons free from atoms generating a flow of electricity.

Solar cells are made primarily from silicon a chemical element with conductive properties. The dc signals are fed into an inverter which converts the dc into grid compatible ac power which is what you use in your home. What are solar panels made of and how do they work. Ac energy then flows through the home s electrical panel and is distributed accordingly.

When photons hit a solar cell they knock electrons loose from their atoms. The following diagram shows the major components in a typical basic solar power system. The electricity generated flows to the edge of the panel and into a conductive wire. Basic steps in solar energy generation and transmission sunlight hits the solar panels and creates an electric field.

A cell is a small square of silicon about 6 x 6 with electrical contact plates on the face. How do solar panels work. The solar panel converts sunlight into dc electricity to charge the battery. Solar panels actually comprise many smaller units.

If conductors are attached to the positive and negative sides of a cell it forms an electrical circuit. The conductive wire brings the electricity to the inverter where it is transformed from dc electricity to ac which is used to power buildings. Solar cells are made of the same kinds of semiconductor materials such as silicon used in the microelectronics industry. You will learn to compare solar energy to other energy resources and explain how solar panels or photovoltaics pv for short convert sunlight to electricity.

A solar panel consists of an array of pv aka photovoltaic pv photo light voltaics electricity cells which consist of a positive and a negative wafer of silicon placed under a toughened layer of glass. For solar cells a thin semiconductor wafer is specially treated to form.