What is a solar panel & how does it work?

A solar panel is a group of electrically connected solar cells, enclosed in a frame, which converts sunlight into electricity. Switching to solar energy has many advantages, allowing you to save money while helping the environment, and may have a few limitations connected to the position of your house and weather conditions.

How does solar power work?

Solar power works by converting energy from the sun into power. There are two forms of energy generated from the sun for our use – electricity and heat. Both are generated through the use of solar panels, which range in size from residential rooftops to ‘solar farms’ stretching over acres of rural land. Is solar power a clean energy source?

How do solar panels generate energy?

Solar panels collect energy from the sun through contact with daylight. There are two basic iterations of solar panels. Although they all generate energy by converting rays from the sun, they do so in different ways. The two most common solar panels are:

How do solar photovoltaic cells work?

Solar photovoltaic cells are grouped in panels, and panels can be grouped into arrays of different sizes to power water pumps, power individual homes, or provide utility-scale electricity generation. Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (copyrighted)

What are the different types of solar panels?

There are two types of solar panels Photovoltaic (solar PV) panels convert sunlight into electricity, while solar thermal panels heat water by absorbing the sun’s warmth, and can be used to heat homes or swimming pools.

How does solar PV work?

While the energy source is the same – the sun – the technology in each system is different. Solar PV is based on the photovoltaic effect, by which a photon (the basic unit of light) impacts a semi-conductor surface like silicon and generates the release of an electron.