If you are considering getting solar panels installed, but are unsure how they work, you are not alone. Many people don’t completely understand them, or how they can power your home.
There are many misconceptions about solar panels, but more and more people are turning to them to save energy and lower their energy bills and consumption.
How Do Solar Panels Work?
Solar panels are made to capture the sun’s energy, either the light or the heat, and then convert that into energy to run your home or business. They are designed to do this rather easily.
Solar Panel Construction
Solar panels are made of layers. Between the back and the glass, there are solar cells that are electrically connected. Most solar panels are made from crystalline silicon-type solar cells or photovoltaic cells.
They are all lined up inside the panel, and covered with non-reflective glass and a very sturdy frame. The frame is very important, as it keeps the solar cells protected.
It is designed to prevent the panel from getting damaged, including a drainage hole to prevent water from building up. The non-reflective glass allows the cells to absorb the sunlight.
How Solar Panels Work
Once the solar panels are installed, they work by absorbing sunlight with the photovoltaic cells. The absorbed sunlight is generated into direct current (DC) energy and then converted into usable alternating current (AC) energy.
Thanks to technology, the AC energy flows through the home’s electrical panel and is distributed through the home where needed. Because the solar panels continue to convert the energy, whether you are using it or not, the excess electricity is fed to the electric grid.
The silicon in the cells has conductive properties that allow it to absorb and convert sunlight into electricity. When the sunlight interacts with the silicon cell, it causes electrons to be set into motion, which then starts a flow of electric current. This is known as the photovoltaic effect and it is the general description of how the solar panels work.
Solar Panels to Electricity
You don’t need to know or understand the inner workings of the solar panels to appreciate what they can do. The basic steps are:
- Solar panels contain solar cells
- Solar cells absorb energy from sunlight
- Electrons begin to flow and generate an electrical current
- The wires capture the power and combine it with all the others
- The energy goes where it is needed
Solar and The Grid
Installing solar panels on your home will also be connected to your utility meter, from the grid. This meter not only measures how much energy you use, but how much your solar panels produce, as well.
When you produce more energy than you need, that excess goes to the grid. You get credit for that excess, so when you need to use energy when you are not producing it, you can use the built-up credit.
The grid becomes a storage space for your excessive energy so that it is there when you need it. People looking to install solar panels can get different incentives because of their ability to store energy on the grid.
Solar Panel Energy
If you are looking for more information about solar panels, follow this link or contact directly at Live Smart Construction. By harnessing your own power and building a sustainable system, you can avoid the rising costs of energy inflation.
We build comprehensive energy solutions that make solar installation even more affordable and efficient. There are so many ways to take advantage of solar technology, so take advantage of a free consultation.