How Do Solar Panels Generate Electricity?

With 245 days of annual sunshine, more and more Colorado homeowners realize the advantages of a solar panel system installation in their homes. Renewable energy is clean and reliable, can help us run our businesses and households, and in many cases, solar paneling can even help us save money on our energy bills. 

If you’re considering installing solar panels of your own, let the experts at Vittetoe Electric explain how the technology behind solar panels works to ensure that you’re taking full advantage of the Colorado sun.

How Do Solar Panels Work?

Solar panels are made out of photovoltaic cells (PV) that transform the sun’s energy into electricity. These Photovoltaic cells capture rays and energy from the sun and convert them into energy that we can use to power our homes and buildings.

For solar panels to work in practice, photovoltaic cells will need conduction. You’ll often find them fixed in place by silicone, which is a semiconductor. The photovoltaic cells are sandwiched between layers of silicon or other semiconducting materials. As each layer has different electronic properties that energize when hit by photons from sunlight, this creates an electric field. Also known as the photoelectric effect this creates the current needed to produce electricity for us to use.

Solar panels generate a direct current of electricity.

What are the Advantages of Solar Power?

Now that you understand how solar panels work, you may be considering their unique benefits to ascertain if they’re the right choice for your home or business. Fortunately, it’s always possible to generate electricity, even if it’s not a sunny day in Colorado. Providing that there is daylight, you’ll be able to generate and store energy.  

Let’s explore further advantages of investing in solar panels:

• Solar energy is a renewable energy source and reduces carbon emissions.
  Solar energy is a renewable energy source, meaning you don’t ever use it up. Solar energy is clean. It creates no carbon emissions or other heat-trapping “greenhouse” gases.

• Solar energy can reduce your electricity bill.
  A solar energy system for your home can reduce your reliance on the grid and help you save on your electricity bill. Some owners of residential solar energy systems may even have excess power that they can sell to the utility.

• Solar power can get you money back through Colorado Solar Incentives and tax credits.
  Colorado is concentrating on powering the entire state with renewable energy by 2050 and has fantastic incentives to entice homeowners into solar panel installation. 

• Homes with solar panels installed may improve home value.
  Home buyers will tend to pay more for a house with solar panels installed. Considering solar energy’s pros and cons, the savings on electricity bills and the money earned selling power back to the utility, all count in the plus column.

• Solar panels have low maintenance costs.
  Solar panels are easy to maintain, as they have no moving parts that wear out over time.

For more information about the installation of solar panels on your property or commercial business, contact us today.