How does solar work

Updated: Feb 19

How Does Solar and Battery Work?

As different people of different technical abilities will be reading this article, and to make it as easy as possible for those with little technical knowledge to understand, I have broken this article into two sections. First I will explain in a more basic fashion, and I will then follow this up with a little more detail and more technical information.

Any excess electricity generated in UK homes, can be exported to the gird and homeowners are paid per kWh exported via the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG).

Sunlight Hits the Solar Panel:

Solar panels are made up of smaller parts called solar cells, which are like sponges for sunlight. When sunlight hits these cells, it gets absorbed.

Energy Excites Electrons:

The energy from the sunlight causes tiny particles in the solar cells, called electrons, to get excited and start moving around.

Movement Creates Electricity:

When these electrons move, it creates an electric current, kind of like how a river flowing can turn a water wheel.

Electricity Powers Your Home:

The AC electricity can then be used to power everything in your home, from lights to refrigerators.

Excess Power Goes to the Grid:

If your solar panels produce more electricity than you need and your battery is full, that extra power can be sent back into the electricity grid for others to use. In the U.K. you will be paid 5p as a minimum (or what your energy provider has agreed with you) for each unit of energy you export under the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG).

Excess Power Goes to the Grid:

If your solar panels produce more electricity than you need and your battery is full, that extra power can be sent back into the electricity grid for others to use.

In a nutshell, solar panels work by absorbing sunlight, using that sunlight to create an electric current, and then changing that current into a form we can use to power our homes. If there's extra power, it gets sent back into the grid. It's like having a little power plant on your roof, using the sun's energy to make electricity for your home!

Now for the more technical explanation:

Solar energy works by converting sunlight, specifically solar radiation, into electricity. This process can be a bit complex, but I'll do my best to break it down for you in a comprehensive manner.

1. Absorption of Sunlight by Solar Cells:

A solar panel is composed of many smaller units called solar cells. Each of these cells is made from a semi-conductive material, typically silicon, which is adept at absorbing sunlight. When sunlight strikes the solar cell, the energy from the sunlight is transferred to the semi-conductive material. This energy is in the form of photons, or particles of light, and it's this light that initiates the process of creating electricity.

2. Creation of Electron-hole Pairs:

The energy from the absorbed photons is transferred to the atoms in the semiconductive material. This additional energy causes electrons in the atoms to break free from their orbits, creating what's known as an electron-hole pair. The "hole" is the empty space left behind by the electron.

3. Generation of Electric Current:

In a silicon solar cell, impurities are added to the silicon in a process called "doping." The doping process leads to the formation of a P-N junction, which separates the silicon into two types: P-type silicon, which has positive charges (holes), and N-type silicon, which has negative charges (electrons). This junction forms an electric field.

When sunlight creates electron-hole pairs, this electric field at the P-N junction causes the electrons to move towards the N-type silicon and the holes to move towards the P-type silicon. This movement of charges is what generates an electric current.

4. Conversion to Usable AC Electricity:

The electricity generated by a solar cell is in the form of direct current (DC), where electrons flow in one direction around a circuit. However, most homes and appliances use alternating current (AC), where electrons are pushed and pulled, periodically reversing direction.

This is where a device called an inverter comes in. The inverter takes the DC electricity generated by the solar panels and converts it into AC electricity, which can then be used to power your home.

5. Connection to the Grid:

In most residential systems, the solar power system is connected to the local electricity grid. This allows you to draw from the grid when your system isn't producing enough electricity, such as at night or during periods of heavy cloud cover.

Moreover, if your system produces more electricity than you use, the excess can be fed back into the grid if of course your battery is full. If the electricity isn’t needed in the house, but your battery isn’t full, the system will fill your battery before any export takes place.

That's the basic rundown of how solar power works, from the initial absorption of sunlight to the generation and use of electricity. It's a fascinating process that harnesses the power of the sun, the most abundant energy source on our planet, to generate clean, sustainable electricity.

We hope we have helped explain the basics of the science behind how solar works in this post. If you have any questions then please feel free to get in touch.