How Do Solar Panels Work To Make Power?

By Author: Joshua Vadney
Total Articles: 7
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In the northwestern part of the United States where I live solar panels are being seen as a commonplace thing but what are they and how do they work? They are pretty simple in appearance but when looked at closely, it becomes obvious that they are very complicated. In this short article, we'll explain how they produce electricity and why they are a great option for powering our next generations energy needs.

Believe it or not, solar panels have been around in one form or another for around 100 years. However, it wasn't until recently that the basic parts (polymer, electrical connections, etc.) both became lower in cost and went up in quality that their use has become more widespread. That said, their primary use is to produce electricity and so how do solar panels work to generate electricity from the sun?

At the most basic level, they work by absorbing the suns energy. Specifically, each panel contains a number of individual solar cells. these solar cells are comprised of semiconductors that absorb photons from light waves. These photons are the basic energy supply that the panels work with and derive the energy ...
... required to generate power.

Once that happens, this energy is stored in silicon crystal cells and then free electrons (which emit from the silicon cells) are forced across the panels themselves. The electrons are forced along strips of metal that make up the outer edge construction of the solar panels. The releasing of the electrons is what actually causes power to be produced. Once produced, it can be used for a variety of power generation needs.

Although solar energy is a virtually unlimited power source, even the best solar panels are not ideal for large scale power generation yet since the highest efficiencies for most solar panels is between 15-20%. Since most of the suns energy is lost because of this, future generations of solar cells are being designed now to be more efficient at both capturing solar energy and then distributing it.

So as you can see, solar panels are fairly simple to understand. The basic process is that light comes in, then is absorbed and converted to usable power, and finally redistributed for a variety of power generation needs. It really isn't any more difficult to explain as that.

So the next time someone asks, "How do solar panels work?" you will be able to give them an answer that anyone can understand! Hope this helps!
Are you interested in learning more about solar pannels? Visit solar panels facts to learn more about how solar energy works and how you can use it in your home!