How Do Solar Panels Work To Generate Electricity

How does a solar cell turn sunlight into electricity.

How do solar panels work to generate electricity. To find out how solar panels work you need to understand how they re made. Solar panels work by letting photons released by the sun knock electrons free from atoms and thus generate a flow of electricity. The more panels you deploy the more energy you generate. Solar panels are composed of many smaller photovoltaic cells linked together.

A solar cell is a device people can make that takes the energy of sunlight and converts it into electricity. Solar energy is one of the most affordable renewable energy sources available today. How do solar panels work to generate electricity. You can continue benefiting from their energy production after sunset through net metering and solar battery storage.

Many solar panels use silicon one of the planet s most common elements. So how do solar panels actually generate electricity. When subject to sunlight photovoltaic cells create a flow of electric charge inside the solar panel due to the photoelectric effect. Simply put a solar panel works by allowing photons or particles of light to knock electrons free from atoms generating a flow of electricity.

They also support sustainable solar energy solutions at night. Here s the process demystified. How much energy does a solar panel produce. 5 hours x 290 watts an example wattage of a premium solar panel 1 450 watts hours or roughly 1 5 kilowatt hours kwh.

For the sake of example if you are getting 5 hours of direct sunlight per day in a sunny state like california you can calculate your solar panel output this way. This flow travels in a circuit of wires that connect groups of solar panels called arrays. Solar panels actually comprise many smaller units. Thus the output for each solar panel in your array would.