How Do Solar Photovoltaic Panels Generate Electricity

That is 40 years before thomas eddison was credited with inventing the first workable electric light bulb.

How do solar photovoltaic panels generate electricity. This flow travels in a circuit of wires that connect groups of solar panels called arrays. Ac energy then flows through the home s electrical panel and is distributed accordingly. Simply put a solar panel works by allowing photons or particles of light to knock electrons free from atoms generating a flow of electricity. Some pv cells can convert artificial light into electricity.

There are many photovoltaic cells within a single solar panel and the current created by all of the cells together adds up to enough electricity to help power your home. Solar pv cells generate electricity by absorbing sunlight and using that light energy to create an electrical current. It may surprise you to know that the ability of certain treated substances to generate electricity when light falls on them was discovered as far back as 1839. When subject to sunlight photovoltaic cells create a flow of electric charge inside the solar panel due to the photoelectric effect.

Solar panels actually comprise many smaller units. A photovoltaic pv cell commonly called a solar cell is a nonmechanical device that converts sunlight directly into electricity. Photons carry solar energy sunlight is composed of photons or particles of solar energy. Solar panels contain cells of semiconductive material usually silicon usually encased in a metallic frame and tempered glass.

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.