When you really break them down a solar panel is nothing more than a big sheet of glass over a metal frame with a patch of wiring that runs to your home s main electrical panel.
How to solar panels works.
It s an idea that has been around for well over a century.
Solar panels actually comprise many smaller units.
Photovoltaic pv cells are the powerhouse unit of the entire solar energy industry.
In fact the term photovoltaic literally means light and electric these cells are designed from materials capable of reacting with a photovoltaic effect simply put the sun ray excites the electrons in the photovoltaic cell.
Simply put a solar panel works by allowing photons or particles of light to knock electrons free from atoms generating a flow of electricity.
In 1839 french scientist edmond becquerel discovered that certain materials would give off sparks of electricity when struck with sunlight.