Key Takeaways
Nearly every solar panel in production uses silicon as its primary semiconductor.
Solar panels rely on photons that travel over 93 million miles to generate the electricity that powers a home or business.
Though three main types of solar panels exist, they all function in the same way: photons excite electrons to generate electricity.
Solar panels are becoming an increasingly popular source of clean and renewable energy. As the world continues to combat climate change fueled by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, more people are shifting toward sustainable solutions.
But how do solar panels work? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the science behind solar energy, the basics of solar panels, the different types available, and the installation process.
What Is Solar Energy?
Solar energy refers to the sun’s radiant light and heat that solar panels harness to generate electricity. Unlike traditional fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas that are finite and pollute the environment, solar energy is abundant and emits zero greenhouse gases. As such, it’s an eco-friendly and renewable energy source.
To fully answer the question “how do solar panels work,” we must first explore the science behind solar energy.
The Science Behind Solar Energy
Solar energy is a product of the sun’s nuclear fusion process, which releases photons into space. The photons then travel to Earth, where solar panels, which consist of photovoltaic (PV) cells, intercept them.
PV cells, also called solar cells, are made of semiconductor materials (most often silicon) containing positively and negatively charged layers. As the photons strike the PV cell surface, they excite the electrons in the semiconductor material. This excitement, known as the photovoltaic effect, generates an electric field.
What Are the Basics of Solar Panels?
Before we get into how solar panels work, it’s essential to understand their basic components and the different types available.
Solar panels have several crucial components. The most fundamental portion is the photovoltaic cell, which uses the sunlight’s photons to help create electricity. These cells sit in an encapsulant, which is a protective layer, and are generally sandwiched between a glass cover and a back sheet for structural support.
The PV cell comprises layers of semiconductor materials — 90 to 95% of solar panels use silicon as their semiconductor — specially treated to create an electric field. As mentioned earlier, when sunlight hits the cell, the photons in the light excite the electrons in the semiconductor material, causing them to move and generate an electric current. This photovoltaic effect is the key principle behind how solar cells work.
Solar panels (also called PV panels) also feature an aluminum or stainless steel frame to ensure durability and stability. This frame protects the delicate components inside and makes it easy to install and mount solar systems on various surfaces, such as rooftops or ground-mounted structures.
Solar panels also have various electrical connectors and wires to transfer the generated electricity from the panels to the building’s electrical system or a grid connection point. These connectors ensure a seamless flow of electricity, allowing you to harness the sun’s power for your energy needs.
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Different Types of Solar Panels
All solar power works by basically the same principles of harnessing the sun’s photons and using those to excite electrons for electricity generation.
But are all solar panels the same?
Not quite. Various types of solar panels exist, and each has unique benefits and drawbacks. Let’s review the three main types of solar panels to help further answer the question, “How do solar panels work?”
Monocrystalline panels: One of the more common solar panel types, these are made from a single crystal structure, typically silicon, and provide the highest efficiency (15 to 22%) in converting sunlight into electricity. The uniform crystal structure is a driving factor in its efficiency, as it allows for better electron flow that results in higher power output. However, the downside to this high efficiency is a higher cost compared to other panel types.
Polycrystalline panels: These types of solar panels are made from multiple crystal structures, giving them a distinctive blue color. Their main benefits are their lower cost and respectable performance in various conditions. While they may not have the same efficiency level as monocrystalline panels (13 to 15%), they remain reliable and affordable solutions for solar energy generation.
Thin-film solar panels: To create these panels, manufacturers deposit a thin layer of photovoltaic material onto a substrate, such as glass or metal. The primary benefit of these thin-film panels is their flexibility and lightweight nature, making them suitable for applications where rigid panels are not ideal. They’re suitable for curved surfaces or for use in portable solar devices. Their big downside is their efficiency is generally around 7%, though they can go up to 18% in some cases.
Whether you’re a homeowner or business owner who wants to maximize efficiency with monocrystalline panels, affordability with polycrystalline panels, or flexibility with thin-film panels, you have plenty of PV panel options to harness clean energy from the sun.
How Do Solar Panels Work?
With all the basics of solar panels explained, we’re ready to explore the working principles of solar panels in more detail. Let’s dive in to how exactly photovoltaic panels create solar electricity and deliver it to your home or business.
Conversion of Solar Energy Into Electricity
We’ve already covered the photovoltaic effect, when the sun’s photons excite the electrons, knocking them loose from their atoms and creating an electrical charge. But what happens after that?
Once the electrons start flowing in one direction, an electrical circuit is completed, allowing the solar energy system to generate electricity. This electricity is not yet ready for residential or business use, as it is direct current (DC) electricity, and homes and businesses run on alternating current (AC) power. As such, it must go through one more conversion.
Converting DC Electricity Into AC Electricity
The next step is to make that DC power usable in a home or business, and this is done via a solar inverter. Some solar arrays have a single string inverter that handles this process, and other PV systems use micro-inverters, which are smaller inverters connected to one or several individual solar modules.
Regardless of the style of inverter your solar panel system uses, the concept is the same. The inverter switches the direction of a DC power input back and forth very rapidly, resulting in an AC electric current.
And now, the power is ready to head to a building for use.
What If I Generate More Power Than I Need?
It’s not always easy to perfectly match the amount of electricity your solar panels produce to your energy consumption. Many variables come into play that can affect output and usage, including the amount of sunshine (not much electricity generation happens on cloudy days!), roof angle, and more. Conversely, in some cases, you might produce more energy than you need.
This may sound like a massive waste of money considering what solar panels cost, but in many cases, it’s not. You have two options: store is or sell it. Let’s review.
Selling Excess Energy
In a grid-tied system, excess energy produced by the solar panels can feed back into the electrical grid. If your utility company offers net metering, you can earn credits for the extra power you feed into the grid and reduce your current or future electricity bills. In some cases, your electricity company may even send you a check in the mail for your energy production.
Storing Excess Electricity
Battery storage is an up-and-coming solar technology helping to revolutionize and stabilize sustainable energy production. With these solar batteries, you can store the excess power your solar system extracts from the sun’s energy and use it when sunlight is low, at nighttime, or during a cloudy day or power outage.
Battery systems are also ideal for those looking to leverage solar panels to live off-grid, meaning they do not connect their homes to the electricity grid. They store excess power during the day in batteries, then use this stored energy to power their homes at night.
What’s the Installation Process for Solar Panels?
With a firm understanding of how solar panels work, you’re likely curious about how to install them. (Hint: You hire a professional!) Solar panel installation typically involves several steps. Let’s lift the veil on the process and see what’s involved.
Site Survey
Any solar panel installation process starts with a site survey. During the survey, the installation company will assess the location’s suitability. Some key factors they’ll consider include roof orientation, shading, the sun’s path, and available roof space for panel placement.
Engineering Design
Once the surveyor deems the site suitable, the solar panel company goes through an engineering design phase, where they map the installation area and determine the proper solar panel array layout to ensure optimal sun exposure.
Permitting and Approvals
At this point, the map created during the engineering design phase and any other required information is submitted to the appropriate government agencies for approval and permitting. The company must also submit documentation to the utility company to get permission to connect the solar array to the main power grid, unless it’s an off-grid setup.
Installation
The installation can begin at this point, starting with installing the necessary racks and mounts in the optimal positions according to the map. The installers then affix the solar panels to the mounts and angle them as outlined in the survey and map. The electrical connections are carefully made to the inverter, ensuring proper grounding and compliance with safety regulations. Finally, the system is tested to ensure it’s functioning correctly.
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Inspection and Permission to Operate
The final step is thoroughly inspecting the entire solar system to ensure it’s properly connected and installed. Once it passes inspection, the solar company must get final permission to operate (PTO) from the utility company. The utility company will send out a representative to inspect the system and install a new net metering setup, if applicable.
If everything checks out, the solar panel company will return to activate your system, though some may allow you to activate it yourself.
Knowing How Solar Panels Work Can Help You Choose the Right System
Solar panels may seem like magic, converting the sun’s invisible rays into consumable power. In reality, it’s all just science. Photons knock electrons loose from their atoms within the panels, creating an electrical charge. This electrical charge then flows through an inverter and into your home or business as usable power.
Now that you know how solar panels work, you’re in an even better position to make an informed decision on alternative energy and play a vital role in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.
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