How is solar energy used to make electric power?

Question by Ellie: How is solar energy used to make electric power?
Is it solar panels? How do solar panels work? Please explain in a way that can be put into a sentence or two.


Best answer:
Answer by Jacob Harmon- Mountain Wind and SolarHi I am the owner of Mountain Wind & Solar http://mountainwindnsolar.com (please be aware though that this website is still under construction).

Solar Panels create electricity from the sun.

How does photovoltaic (PV) (Solar) technology work?

PV takes advantage of the characteristics of impure silicon crystals. Pure silicon is not electrically active, because its atoms are locked into a solid crystal structure. There are no spare electrons, and no open spots for electrons. Silicon impurities create crystal with either a slight tendency to lose electrons or a slight tendency to attract them. When the two kinds of silicon are placed close together and exposed to sunlight, photons (particles of light) knock electrons loose on the unattractive side. An electrical current is created as electrons travel across the junction to the attractive side.

Sunlight is composed of particles of energy called photons. When sunlight strikes a PV material, photons will either pass through, be reflected, or be absorbed. If the photon is absorbed, its energy will be transferred to an electron in an atom of the PV material. With new energy, the electron is able to escape from its normal position in orbit around that atom. In this way, the electron can become part of, and augment, the current in an electrical circuit. This photovoltaic effect is the basic physical process through which sunlight is converted into electricity.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are made of similar materials and take advantage of the same physical principles, but in reverse. Powering LEDs with a PV panel works compatibly: photons in, electrons out; electrons in, photons out.

If you have any specific questions about wind turbines or solar panels feel free to email me at go_green@mountainwindnsolar.com

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