How Solar Panels Create Energy

This all happens as light hits a unit called a photovoltaic cell.

How solar panels create energy. When subject to sunlight photovoltaic cells create a flow of electric charge inside the solar panel due to the photoelectric effect. To understand this process further let s look at the solar energy components that make up a complete solar power system. This doesn t mean that it needs to be sunny all the time for power to be generated as the technology relies simply on daylight. 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 panels use the sun s energy to create electricity to run appliances and lighting. A diagram showing how a solar panel battery system works. An ideal site will have no shade on the panels especially during the prime sunlight hours of 9 a m. A south facing installation will.

Solar panels contain cells of semiconductive material usually silicon usually encased in a metallic frame and tempered glass. Making it more cost effective for consumers and businesses to generate and store their own solar energy. In most solar systems solar panels are placed on the roof. Solar panels work by allowing particles of light called photons to knock electrons from their atomic orbitals.