How Solar Panels Convert Sunlight

Solar photovoltaic systems often called solar pv for short are made up of a number of components the biggest and most important being the solar panels solar inverters mounting platforms and cabling infrastructure.

How solar panels convert sunlight.

Solar panels use a curious bit of science called the photovoltaic effect to convert one form of energy into another. Traditional solar panels are made with silicon crystals. Simply put a solar panel works by allowing photons or particles of light to knock electrons free from atoms generating a flow of electricity. It creates an electrical current with sunlight.

This is because of the electrons making up a silicon atom. Site admin jan 14 2017. Solar panel efficiency is a measurement of how much of the sun s energy a certain panel can convert into usable electricity. A typical life span is over 25 years and there are cells in place that have produced electricity reliably for over 40 years.

But at the heart of each system is a simple conversion process. Silicon is a very special material. The sun is a giant star that emits energy all the time. A photovoltaic cell changes light into electricity.

This energy is radiated outwards towards everything and eventually. A basic cell is around 1 100th of an inch thick with a wide range of surface areas. The components of a solar panel solar panels are made of dozens to hundreds of solar cells or photovoltaic cells which is what converts the sunlight to energy. Here s how solar panels harvest light converting it into electricity.

The panel s photovoltaic cells allow particles of light also known as photons to knock electrons off of atoms which creates electricity. How solar panels convert sunlight into electricity 8msolar. Combined these components harness radiant light from the sun convert it into electricity and transmit it into homes and businesses to power electrical devices like lights and appliances and provide heating and cooling via the electrical currents they create. Just like a sandwich it s the filling which is the most interesting part this is where photons from the sun are converted into usable electricity.

Photovoltaic is a term that describes the act of turning sunlight into energy. This is done by capturing the electrical current generated when sunshine interacts with the solar cells in the panel and is transferred through the wiring and busbars to be converted into ac alternating current energy. Simply put solar panels convert sunlight to electricity.