What are solar panels?

Basically put, solar panels are a collection of solar cells or photovoltaic cells that are used to convert the energy given off by sunlight into electricity. These panels are constructed using either crystalline silicon (common) or gallium arsenide (expensive).

How do solar panels work?

The way solar panels work is by constantly collecting and converting the energy or solar radiation from the sun into electricity.

We are all familiar with calculators and other small appliances that work via solar or light power. These small devises never need batteries and seem to have enough power to work forever as long as they are in the light. Take then into a room with little or no light however and they quickly run down. Solar panels work in a similar way.

The cells in a solar panel called photovoltaic cells, these cells are created using special materials such as silicon that acts as semiconductors. Basically what happens is when light strikes the cell a portion of it is absorbed into the semiconductor material and converted into electricity by “knocking” electrons loose from their atoms which is converted to DC electricity and then “forced” to flow in a certain direction so that is can be collected into a power converter and used. Solar panels are a made up of a large number of these cells all working in conjunction to collect and convert the light into electricity.

The problem with the system is efficiency or lack of it. You see only a small portion of the light that is collected is or currently can be converted into electricity.

Light itself is made up of many different wavelengths and each wavelength has its own level of energy, solar panels and photovoltaic cells simply cannot collect them all.