The science behind solar power and photovoltaic crystals can often be confusing and leave you wondering exactly how does solar power work? Sure, there are some very complex scientific explanations but I want to walk you through a much more simplified one that will help you visualize and understand the solar energy conversion process. Then we can touch on how you can easily harness the power of the sun for use in your own home.

How Does Solar Power Work at the Level of the Atom?

Imagine for a minute, a silicon atom that has many small electronics orbiting around it. Now imagine two silicon atoms next to each other, both with orbiting electrons but one of those electrons is shared by the two atoms and orbits both equally. That shared electron creates a bond between the two atoms and physically connects them together so that they cannot separate.

Now imagine that there are billions of these atoms together that are all connected to each adjacent atom in the same fashion. This is how silicon atoms arrange themselves and hold together to form a silicon crystal structure.

These atoms will continue to hold together until something powerful enough, like sunlight, collides with an atom and breaks the bond.  In fact, sunlight is a highly powerful form of energy that consists of particles called photons. When these photons (particles of energy) collide with the silicon atoms, they literally break the bond between the atoms knocking the once shared electron loose where it can then move freely.

When many electrons are knocked loose and allowed to move freely at the same time, they pool together and create the electrical current that you use as electricity. So the more sunlight that hits the atoms then the more electrons that get knocked loose and the more current (electricity) that is generated.

How Does Solar Power Work at the Level of the Solar Cell?

A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is nothing more than a bunch of silicon crystals that have been cut into a thin wafer. The wafers are cut from large laboratory grown silicon crystals with a few added materials to help improve the efficiency of the solar cells.
Once the silicon wafer is trimmed to the proper size, it becomes the same solar cell you see on a solar panel. Metals strips are then attaché to the silicon solar cell in order to create a channel, or path, for the current (electricity) to flow.

How Does Solar Power Work at the Level of the Solar Panel?

Each single solar cell is only capable of generating a small amount of power. So by themselves, solar cells cannot power much of anything. But they can be connected together to form a network of solar cells that together are capable of generating a substantial amount of power. Once these solar cells are connected together, they are encased in a protective panel at which point you have a complete solar panel.

3 Easy Ways to Make Solar Power Work for You

Once you have a complete solar panel then you can use it in many ways. There are plenty of applications where you can save money by making solar power work for you.

1. You can simply use the panel by itself to power some sort of battery powered electronic device.

2. You can also use it to charge a battery which will store your solar power for future use.

3. You can hook it up to a device called an inverter which will convert your solar power to electricity that is usable by your home.

I hope this answers all of your, how does solar power work, questions. It is worth noting that the science and physicals do get much more complicated than this but now you should have a fairly good understanding of how it all works.

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