Powering a home using the sun’s energy is not a new concept by any means. With recent technological advances and lower costs, solar power has become an attractive option. But how do solar panels actually generate electricity? Let’s break down this seemingly abstract concept and take a closer look at the conversion of sunlight to usable electricity.
Photovoltaic Panels
The solar panels you see on street signs or rooftops consist of smaller, connected photovoltaic cells; “photo” meaning light and “voltaic” meaning the production of electricity. These cells consist of two layers of a semiconducting material, typically silicon, which are the meat of the solar panels.
The cells are infused with additional elements that give the top layer a negative charge and the bottom layer a positive charge. These two silicon layers are also sandwiched between several other coatings, including a glass casing, to optimize the PV cell’s energy production and provide protection from outside debris.
Journey of Solar Energy
The sun emits massive amounts of solar energy each day in the form of photons, which are small particles of light. When these photons collide hard enough with PV cells, electrons are knocked loose from atoms in the top silicon layer of the cells, leaving gaps to be filled by electrons from the bottom layer.
Because of the electric field created by the two silicon layers, the loose electrons will circulate through the cells in a single direction, out toward the metal sides of the solar panel, creating electricity with a direct current.
This is where the power inverter comes in. The newly generated electricity flows out of the panels, through conductive wire and into the inverter system. This system is necessary because the majority of our home appliances and electronics operate on an alternating current, or AC power.
The inverter converts the power from DC to AC, allowing us to charge our phones and watch TV using electricity generated by solar panels.
Once the electricity is in an alternating current, it flows from the inverter to our breaker box and into our homes as needed. Any solar energy that goes unused will flow through your electrical meter and onto the electric grid.
Rooftop Solar
If the costs make sense and you have a roof suitable for solar, a rooftop solar array may be a good way to reduce your monthly energy bill and help the environment, but please be aware of the costs and responsibilities, including maintenance, any lease or loan fees, and roof work that might be needed.
Be sure to do thorough independent research and not rely solely on information from a solar salesperson. The cost of solar installation and maintenance can often eliminate any savings in electricity costs. One thing to keep in mind is that much of the energy produced by the solar panels will be consumed within the home to power appliances, lighting and other everyday essentials. Only the unused portion of the solar generation is seen and recorded by the cooperative meter. The amount of energy produced will never equal the amount of energy recorded by the meter.
Call and talk with one of our friendly member service representatives at Grayson-Collin Electric Cooperative before installing a solar array at your home to find out what the policies regarding member-owned generation are and for advice on installing and maintaining the system.