SOLAR PANELS
HOW SOLAR PANELS WORK
In the simplest of terms solar panels work by converting energy from the sun into power. There are two forms of energy which can be generated from the sun for our use – electricity from Solar PV and heat from Solar Thermal.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) cells are made up of two layers silicon which is a semi-conductor material. One layer is positively charged (p-type) and the other layer is negatively charged (n-type). These two layers are what converts the sun's energy into electricity through a process called the photovoltaic effect.
When the sun light hits a cell, it creates energy which is absorbed by the semi-conductor materials causing electrons and holes to move via the p-n junction. Electrons move to the positive (p-side) and holes move to the negative (n-side). The electric field across the junction between the two layers causes electricity to flow, generating direct current (DC). By placing metal contacts on the top and bottom of the PV cells, we can draw that current off for external use.
Solar PV panels do not require bright sunlight in order to produce electricity, meaning that you can still generate electricity on cloudy days.
However in general the greater the intensity of light the higher the flow of electricity. Although, due to the reflection of sunlight, days with slight cloud can result in higher energy yields than days with a completely cloudless sky.
To summarise photovoltaic process, as described above in three simple steps:
When will my solar panels create power?
You can start to see the benefit of solar panels straight away. Solar PV panels do not require bright sunlight in order to produce electricity, meaning that you can still generate electricity on cloudy days.
However, in general the greater the intensity of light the higher the flow of electricity. Although, due to the reflection of sunlight, days with slight cloud can result in higher energy yields than days with a completely cloudless sky.
Using my solar power
It is important to realise that you can only use your solar electricity when it is being generated. So unless you also invest in a storage battery system to store solar power for use at another time, you will need to pay for your energy use as normal when the panels are not producing electricity.
How do solar panels work?
1. Absorption
Solar panels absorb the sun’s energy and convert it to DC electricity
2. Conversion
The solar inverter converts DC electricity from your solar modules to AC electricity, which is used by most home appliances
3. Power flow
Electricity flows through your home, powering electronic devices
4. Excess
Excess electricity produced by solar panels is fed to the electric grid or stored in batteries
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