Solar Power Panels

Share this article:

Sunlight may be directly transformed into electric power through a technology called photovoltaics. In contrast to solar power plants, which produce power by using the heat of the sun to create the steam that operates a turbine connected to a generator, photovoltaics uses solar cells to capture energy from sunlight.

What is a solar power panel?

It is the general term used to refer to a device that collects energy from the rays of the sun and then transforms it into electric power. It is also referred to as a solar thermal collector or photovoltaic module, although solar thermal collectors and photovoltaic modules have specific features which make them distinct. Solar thermal collectors absorb sunlight to generate heat, and photovoltaic modules consist of solar cells which capture sunlight for the purpose of generating electricity. There are three generations of solar power panel technologies. The first generation consists of single junction devices, while the second generation consists of thin-film cells. Third-generation technologies involve efforts to enhance the efficiency of thin-film technologies and reduce production costs at the same time.

How does a solar power panel work?

A phenomenon called the photovoltaic effect allows a solar power panel to work. The photovoltaic or Hertz effect is characterized by electrons being released from matter once energy from light is absorbed. It happens when photons have energies amounting to a few electronvolts. Solar power panels are made of semiconductors, which absorb energy from sunlight. This energy (photons) then knocks the electrons loose, transforming them into another form of energy, which is electricity.