Solar energy how it works video

How does solar work?

The amount of sunlight that strikes the earth's surface in an hour and a half is enough to handle the entire world's energy consumption for a full year. Solar technologies convert sunlight into electrical energy either through photovoltaic (PV) panels or through mirrors that concentrate solar radiation.

How do solar panels create electricity?

But if you want to go a bit deeper into the process of how solar panels create electricity, we'll explain what you should know. Solar cells are typically made from a material called silicon, which generate electricity through a process known as the photovoltaic effect.

How does a solar inverter work?

Solar inverters convert DC electricity into AC electricity, the electrical current appliances run on when plugged into a standard wall socket. Other types of solar technology include solar hot water and concentrated solar power. They both use the sun's energy but work differently than traditional solar panels.

How do solar panels convert solar energy into heat?

Instead, the solar panels, known as "collectors," transform solar energy into heat. Sunlight passes through a collector's glass covering, striking a component called an absorber plate, which has a coating designed to capture solar energy and convert it to heat.

How does concentrated solar power work?

Concentrated solar power (CSP) works in a similar way to solar hot water in that it transforms sunlight into heat––but it doesn't stop there. CSP technology concentrates the solar thermal energy using mirrors and turns it into electricity. At a CSP installation, mirrors reflect the sun to a focal point.

How is solar energy produced?

Solar energy is the light and heat that come from the sun. To understand how it's produced, let's start with the smallest form of solar energy: the photon. Photons are waves and particles that are created in the sun's core (the hottest part of the sun) through a process called nuclear fusion.