How Do Solar Panels Work
Introduction to How Solar Panels Work
It doesn’t matter if the solar panel is on a calculator, car, home or space station, they all work in exactly the same way. They generate electricity from the sun in order to power whatever they are needed for. They work with exactly the same principles as a battery or a normal electricity outlet works. That is the free flow of electrons through a circuit. The main component that allows solar panels to work is pure silicon. We will start with the basics of how solar panels work and then go in to it in detail.
Basics of Solar Panel Workings
Solar panels can generally be seen on many rooftops in all areas of the world. They are basically flat panels that are mounted to the rooftops in order to capture the rays of the sun. These rays are then converted in to electricity which then gets stored in to batteries for powering the appliances of the house. Water solar panels catch the rays in order to heat water up which is then stored in a tank to be uses whenever it is needed.
Silicon
Each silicon atom has four electrons when it is in its natural state but actually has room for eight electrons. This means that when two silicon atoms are combined they create a strong bond as each atom is also sharing the electrons of the other. To create electricity, you need a positive or a negative charge. Because of the fact that two silicon atoms can fill each others capacity of eight electrons, there is no negative or positive charge.
Creating the Electricity
Because there is no positive or negative charge from two atoms that are bonded together, we need to find a way to create electricity. The way that this is done is to combine the silicon with another element so that we can gain the negative and positive charges. If the silicon is combined with phosphorous it will give a negative charge as it gives 5 electrons which is one more than it actually needs. If the silicon is combined with an element like boron it will give a positive charge because boron is an element that offers three electrons. This allows the electricity to flow.
How Does it all Fit Together?
The obvious thing that a solar panel needs to work is the sun. Without this it won’t work at all. The sun itself has many different particles of energy, the most important of which is the photon. The photons are what is going to be used in order to create the electricity. The photons hit the combination of silicon and phosphorous atoms and get rid of the extra electron. This allows the combination of silicon and boron to suck in that energy. As this continues to happen, so electricity is generated.
All of this working together means that electricity can be easily generated from the sun without the need to burn fossil fuels and harm the atmosphere. Any electricity that is generated from solar panels is free so it makes a great way of saving money and saving the planet.
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