How Do Solar Panels Work?

Solar panels absorb sunlight and turn it into electricity. Their ability to do this is in part due to their composition. Each solar panel is made up of several layers.

The top layer is made up of glass. This glass is clear enough for sunlight to pass through but is strong enough to keep the layers below safe. Below that lies an antireflective coating and contact grid.

Then, we get to the electricity-producing portion.

Next lies two layers of semiconductor silicon. Arranged in several solar cells, the silicon absorbs sunlight, or more specifically, photons. Photons, which are particles of light, push electrons from their atoms, causing them to move around through a positive and negative charge. This movement of electrons creates a flow of direct current or DC electricity.

The layers of silicon are sandwiched between two layers of encapsulant to keep everything together. On the bottom is a backing layer to keep the inner portions safe from the elements and an aluminum frame wraps around the edges.

The panel`s performance, or how much electricity it can generate, is dependent on a few different factors, like how much sunshine the panel receives, the temperature, the installation method, the panel’s cleanliness, and more. The make and model of your panels will also impact production so selecting high-quality solar panels for your project is important.