How Do Solar Pv Panels Work

Solar panels are made up of hundreds of photovoltaic cells which are most often composed of silicon as the semi conductor.

How do solar pv panels work.

Solar pv cells generate electricity by absorbing sunlight and using that light energy to create an electrical current. It s an idea that has been around for well over a century. An electric field is created when opposite charges interact similar to the poles of a magnet. Ac energy then flows through the home s electrical panel and is distributed accordingly.

Modules are designed to supply electricity at a certain voltage such as a common 12 volts system. This means that the energy of the absorbed light is transferred to the semiconductor. Photovoltaic cells are sandwiched between layers of semi conducting materials such as silicone. Solar panels actually comprise many smaller units.

A number of solar cells electrically connected to each other and mounted in a support structure or frame is called a photovoltaic module. There are many photovoltaic cells within a single solar panel and the current created by all of the cells together adds up to enough electricity to help power your home. 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. In 1839 french scientist edmond becquerel discovered that certain materials would give off sparks of electricity when struck with sunlight.

Photovoltaic cells are made of special materials called semiconductors such as silicon which is currently used most commonly. Solar photovoltaic pv panels are based on a high tech but remarkably simple technology that converts sunlight directly to electricity. Basically when light strikes the cell a certain portion of it is absorbed within the semiconductor material. When exposed to daylight the semi conducting material becomes energised and this produces electricity.

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 panels are made of a thin layer of semi conducting material sandwiched between a sheet of glass and a polymer resin.