Solar panels harness the photoelectric effect to produce electricity from sunlight. Thousands of photovoltaic cells, often made from silicon, are connected together in solar panels. The silicon allows electrons to move freely through the panels and produce a current when struck by photons from sunlight. This direct current is then converted to alternating current electricity. While solar panels provide a renewable source of energy from the sun, they do not work at night without sunlight. However, solar batteries can store excess energy from the panels to provide power when needed.

1. Solar Panels
It’s an elegant collision; under the right circumstances, waves of photons (distributed by
the sun’s rays) are able to knock electrons from an atom’s orbit through the photoelectric effect.
This phenomenon is currently harnessed to produce electricity as electrons travel through a
maze-like infrastructure made of photovoltaic cells. Thousands of photovoltaic cells are
connected to each other to compose the solar panels that make up energy-efficient homes.
Most of the solar panels that are available on the market are made of silicon; that’s because
silicon makes excellent semi-conductors. Additionally, the silicon-made panels have an
additional chemical ingredient such as phosphorous; together, the silicon and phosphorous makes
it easier for electrons to move freely through the various channels to produce a current. Direct
current is converted into alternating current electricity.
Because the electricity that is generated by solar panels comes from sun, it serves as one of
the greatest renewable sources of energy there is. However, there is a drawback. Solar panels
won’t work during the night when there is no longer a steady supply of photons to create a
current for electricity. A great solution to this challenge comes in the form of solar panel
batteries. A battery storage will store up the excess energy so that it can be tapped into as needed.
Solar panels are an excellent way of transitioning to a future that prioritizes renewable forms of
energy.