Eli5 – How does solar power actually work?
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Solar panel cell is basically a led light in reverse. Its a property of all NP diodes. Over the junction there is a voltage drop, in a normal diode operation electrons can drop down that voltage gradient but how to get back up? Thats why diode only conducts one way. But when a charge drops down a potential, energy is lost, so where does that go? Its emitted as photon, thus LEDs. Reversing the process a photon can pump the electron up that voltage barrier and that way you get a solar panel.
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