How Solar Panels Work

Most solar cells are made out of silicon.

How solar panels work.

In 1839 french scientist edmond becquerel discovered that certain materials would give off sparks of electricity when struck with sunlight. The slice on top gets phosphorus for a negative charge and the slice on bottom. Each solar panel is made up of tons of individual photovoltaic cells. Ac energy then flows through the home s electrical panel and is distributed accordingly.

Each cell is a sandwich made from two slices of semiconductor material usually silicon. 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. Solar photovoltaic pv panels are based on a high tech but remarkably simple technology that converts sunlight directly to electricity. Solar panels are made up of these small things called pv cells and many pv cells linked together make a solar panel.

Each slice of silicon gets an addition of material that will give it either a positive or negative charge. Solar energy works when the photons of an atom knock the electrons free from atoms generating a flow of 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. When you really break them down a solar panel is nothing more than a big sheet of glass over a metal frame with a patch of wiring that runs to your home s main.