Understanding working of Solar Panels

 These days, solar panels have become a common sight due to increased adoption of solar energy by various users spanning from domestic, commercial to industrial. But how do they work? In this blog we are going to understand how solar panels work.

Solar Panels 

Solar panels are known as photovoltaic (PV) panels, and they work through a process called the photovoltaic effect. Solar panels consist of different solar cells made up of semiconductor materials.The solar cells contain two layers, one upper layer with negative charge referred to as the N type layer and the other with a positive layer called P type. These layers have different electronic properties that get energized with the sunlight and convert it to electricity. 

How solar panels work

1.Absorption of sunlight by solar panels  

Sunlight is an electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Sun. It consists of photons & each photon carries a specific amount of energy corresponding to its wavelength or frequency. These photons have energy that can be absorbed, reflected & transferred. When the sunlight hits the solar panels the energy gets transferred to the semiconductor material allowing the electrons in the semiconductor atoms to break free from their atoms thereby creating electron-hole pairs.

2.Movement of electrons in the solar cells:

There is an electric field between the N-type and P-type layers within the solar cell that creates a built-in electric field. The holes & free electrons are prevented from recombining quickly due to the electric field which acts as a barrier.preventing the free electrons and holes from recombining too quickly. Now the free electrons move towards the N type layer and the holes towards the P layer due to their opposite charge attraction. This creates a flow of electrons that generates direct current in the solar cell.

3.Extraction of the electricity from the solar cell

The flow of electrons can be collected from the solar cell if metal contacts are there to extract them. The front surface of a solar cell is typically covered with a thin layer of silver or aluminum metal which are designed to collect the electrons that are excited and released by the absorbed photons in the semiconductor material. The back metal acts as an electron collection point for charge carriers that have reached the back surface. By connecting them to the external circuit, the generated electricity can be extracted for use.

Solar panels consist of multiple solar cells that are connected in series which ensure that voltage generated is added up leading to a higher total voltage output. Using a solar battery in connection with the solar panel 

4.Connection to inverter  or grid

The electricity produced by the solar panel is in the DC form which cannot be used directly for the home requirements as appliances run on AC current. An inverter is used to convert the DC electricity to AC electricity so that it can be used for the power requirements of the home.

Summary:

Solar panels generate electricity by converting sunlight into electrical energy by photovoltaic effect. The generated DC electricity is converted to AC electricity by the inverters and then is made available to be used in homes or other applications.

The generated electricity can be used directly or stored in batteries for later use. Solar panels have become a popular and sustainable way to generate clean, renewable energy for a wide range of applications.

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