How Does Solar Panels Convert Sunlight Into Electricity

And the solar panels that you see on an increasing number of roofs do something similar converting light into electricity.

How does solar panels convert sunlight into electricity. The bread on either side consists of thin strips of metallic electrodes. When hit with sunlight they generate electricity which then flows into a device called an inverter which converts the electricity into a form 120 volts 60hz for household use. But at the heart of each system is a simple conversion process. Just like a sandwich it s the.

A basic cell is around 1 100th of an inch thick with a wide range of surface areas. A photovoltaic cell changes light into electricity. Solar panels are made of dozens to hundreds of solar cells or photovoltaic cells which is what converts the sunlight to energy. A typical life span is over 25 years and there are cells in place that have produced electricity reliably for over 40 years.

They extract the power generated within the solar cell and conduct it to an external circuit. Photovoltaic solar panels absorb this energy from the sun and convert it into electricity a solar cell is made from two layers of silicon one doped with a tiny amount of added phosphorus n type. N for negative the other with a tiny amount of boron p type.