How solar panels actually work?
In: 75
Electricity can be thought of as “What we call it when electrons move around”. Solar panels, otherwise known as photovoltaic cells, work by using special materials that shed electrons when exposed to sunlight. When those electrons are free from their bonds we’re able to capture them via conductive materials in the panel as Direct Current electricity…like turning them into batteries, run them through a transformer and turn them into Alternating Current and power your house.
Normally a solar setup will actually just push its power back into the grid powering your neighbor’s houses and the electric company uses a two-way meter that tracks that production and pays you for it. If you have a battery setup your panels will charge the batteries first, then dump excess power into the grid where the electric company pays you for it. Your house is powered by the batteries until the batteries run out then they start pulling power from the grid. It’s a more complicated setup but it’s more efficient for everyone involved. …And often much gentler on the power grid so if you’re lucky and your power company is desperate enough they may subsidize battery setups.
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