How Do Solar Panels Work? The Ultimate Guide

Did you know that a solar panel installation can help you save a lot of money on energy bills while receiving a 30% federal income tax credit? This is why it is crucial to understand how do solar panels work.

If you want to go solar, it means that you are now ready to harness the power of the sun, which is constantly sending energy to the planet. The sun sends so much energy that it can power everything we collectively consume in an entire year, just two hours after falling on the earth’s surface.

Thanks to the latest advances in technology, we are becoming more efficient at harnessing solar energy. This renewable energy is now the fastest-growing source of electricity in the country and will make up almost half of all renewable generation by 2050.

If this impresses you and you want to take advantage of reduced costs and tax benefits, here is everything you need to know about the benefits of solar power and why you should install solar panels.

Types of Solar Energy

Solar energy can be anything harnessed directly from the glorious sun’s rays on a sunny day. This is also referred to as the collection of electromagnetic radiation from the sun. It is then converted into energy that can be used for day-to-day living in the form of heat or electricity.

Solar power is where solar energy gets converted to electricity. You have two main types. The first is Photovoltaic systems or PV panels, which are also known as solar panels. These panels can help directly convert radiation from the sun to create an electric current.

The second type of solar energy is concentrating solar power. This technology involves a lot of special mirrors. The mirrors help channel and concentrate all the energy from the sun. The heat produced is then directed towards substances that can help generate steam.

Then the steam drives a power turbine. Most solar power plants deal with solar photovoltaic (PV) panels that rely on the sun’s energy for generating power.

Solar Energy as Heat

Solar thermal energy refers to heat energy harnessed from the sun. Solar thermal energy is the energy source that sustains life on earth when it is in its raw form. This is because it helps keep the temperatures survivable for plants to grow.

Thanks to technology, there are numerous ways to use this heat energy. For instance, you can get a passive solar design. This uses structural elements of a building to help cool or heat it. This can help significantly reduce the need for HVAC systems. The technology is also called “solar cooling and heating.”

Then you have solar hot water. This is where you use solar thermal panels to heat up your water stored in a cylinder. If you have a well-designed system, it can operate efficiently no matter the temperature outside.

Then you can effortlessly deal with all your home’s hot water needs. Finally, you have solar cooking. This is one of the easiest examples of solar technology. Solar ovens can be built using a wide range of materials to help you reach temperatures upwards of 400 Fahrenheit.

How Do Solar Panels Work?

If you want to go solar, you are in for a ride with a magical quality. This is because magic is literally happening in the form of invisible electrons.

Electrons are yanked out of thin air and converted into electricity. Although the process involves scientific principles, this concept of grabbing electrons is the basis of how your solar panels work.

Everywhere you look, you will see more and more solar panels popping up. All of your neighbors might be jumping in on the trend as well. After all, who does not want to save money on their energy bills?

You should also remember the tax benefits that will bring more money into your pocket. Click here to learn more about solar panels and the incredible tax deductions that you might miss out on.

The Basics

The first step to understanding how solar panels work is analyzing the sun. It is worth noting that the sun acts as a giant nuclear reactor approximately 93 million miles away from us.

However, this reactor generously hurls energy in every direction. The energy thrown from the sun comes in tiny packets known as photons. There are enough photons to reach the earth’s surface every hour to help provide more electricity than all of us in the world would use in an entire year.

Solar panel installation is the trick to harnessing all this energy in the most useful way. Otherwise, you would get gorgeous sunsets but no electricity if you do not install solar panels.

Convert Light to Electricity

A solar panel comprises a collection of several photovoltaic (PV) cells. These get covered with protective glass. Then they are held together using a metal frame. Therefore, a solar panel can also be officially called a “PV module.” The PV solar cells within this protective glass are made using a semiconductor material.

Silicon is typically the most popular choice because it can be sliced extremely thinly. Your solar panels will have numerous layers. The PV cell layer is where all your electricity will be produced. Then there are other layers like the encapsulant and glass layers.

These are solely used to protect the PV cells to help all the modules produce electricity efficiently. Every PV cell also has a negative and a positive layer. The negative layer will have extra electrons, which is why the positive layers hold space for these to move around.

This is when electricity is generated when electrons move. For the solar panel to generate electricity, you need the energy to loosen these electrons. This helps them flow from the negative to the positive layer. This is where the sun comes in.

The photons from the sun are powerful enough and are hitting the planet’s surface all day. This energy from the sun and photons is responsible for knocking loose electrons sitting in the negative corner of the PV cell.

When these electrons get moving, you have a photovoltaic effect. However, this is only the beginning of the journey. Electrons then need a pathway to follow so that the electricity can be in a useful form.

How Does This Happen?

The pathway created for electrons to move orderly is known as a circuit. This is where they leave the negative layer of the PV cell. When they get a kick to move, thanks to photons, they need to flow throughout lights and appliances so that they can power our loads.

If all goes well, the electrons should then make their way to the positive layer of the PV cell safely while operating everything we need along the way.

The Flow of Electricity

Understanding the abovementioned flow of electricity is key to learning how solar panels work. The solar panels you install will produce Direct Current (DC) electricity. However, the electricity generation you need to use in your home is Alternating Current (AC).

If you want to fix this problem, you need to add an inverter to the circuit. The inverter will then successfully convert DC current to AC. This inverted is crucial in determining whether your solar panel will work correctly or not.

Without the inverter for your PV system, you cannot do much with all the energy generated using solar panels. The inverters also come in many sizes and shapes, depending on how much power you need. The two main types are microinverters and string inverters.

Microinverters are tiny devices mounted under a solar panel. These are designed to handle all the electrical power from a couple of panels to convert DC to AC instantly. String inverters are larger.

These are also called central inverters. This inverter can convert the DC power of multiple PV modules. You can find them in a small size to work for up to 2 dozen solar panels, or you can come across a massive one that can convert the power from 20,000 panels.

Solar Panel Installation

When you are getting a solar panel installation, you will notice the term “solar efficiency.” This efficiency rating measures the percentage of sunlight that hits the solar cell to convert and generate usable electricity. The higher the efficiency, the less surface area you need for the solar panels to satisfy your energy requirements.

However, this can be more expensive. You may prefer investing in high efficiency because it means your PV system will not need a lot of space on top of the roof. If you live in high-density areas with limited space for solar, you should ask your installation expert about efficiency rating measures. Renogy has an interesting article on a DIY installation of a small solar system, here.

Go Solar Today

Now that you know all about how do solar panels work, it is time to book your solar panel installation. Solar energy is a grid-tied system where the AC electricity from the inverter powers your home or commercial building.

This AC power is what runs the electrical loads like computers, heaters, machinery, appliances, etc. If you loved reading this solar energy guide, check out some of our other posts for more information.

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