How Does Solar Power Work?
How does solar power work?
-We know that light hits something and produces heat. Light can also hit something and turn it into electric current instead!
-Solar cells today use photovoltaic technology (PV). The PV cells consist of a positive and negative slice of silicon placed under a thin sheet of glass.
-When the sun beats down, photons (light particles) bombard the upper surface of the cell.
-Photons carry their energy down through the solar cell and surrender their energy to electrons in the lower layer.
-Once the electrons have this energy, they jump across the barrier to the upper layer and then escape out of the solar cell into the circuit as electricity.
-The electrons flow around the circuit and power the appliance.
Solar Facts: Did you know?
-It takes 8 minutes and 17 seconds for light to travel from the Sun’s surface to Earth.
-In 5 billion years time the Sun will run out of fuel!
-Enough sunlight falls on Earth every minute to meet the world’s energy demands for an entire year!
-All TV satellites are powered by solar energy using photovoltaic cells.
-The fastest growing markets for solar technology are third world countries that have an abundance of sunlight.
Case Study: The Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park, Spain
The Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park in Spain is the largest solar project in the world!
The site has 162,000 flat solar panels that, on a cloudless day, can generate 60 megawatts of electricity, enough to power nearly 17,000 homes per day!
go back to Solar Energy Kids >>
See solar toys for kids >>
-We know that light hits something and produces heat. Light can also hit something and turn it into electric current instead!
-Solar cells today use photovoltaic technology (PV). The PV cells consist of a positive and negative slice of silicon placed under a thin sheet of glass.
-When the sun beats down, photons (light particles) bombard the upper surface of the cell.
-Photons carry their energy down through the solar cell and surrender their energy to electrons in the lower layer.
-Once the electrons have this energy, they jump across the barrier to the upper layer and then escape out of the solar cell into the circuit as electricity.
-The electrons flow around the circuit and power the appliance.
Solar Facts: Did you know?
-It takes 8 minutes and 17 seconds for light to travel from the Sun’s surface to Earth.
-In 5 billion years time the Sun will run out of fuel!
-Enough sunlight falls on Earth every minute to meet the world’s energy demands for an entire year!
-All TV satellites are powered by solar energy using photovoltaic cells.
-The fastest growing markets for solar technology are third world countries that have an abundance of sunlight.
Case Study: The Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park, Spain
The Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park in Spain is the largest solar project in the world!
The site has 162,000 flat solar panels that, on a cloudless day, can generate 60 megawatts of electricity, enough to power nearly 17,000 homes per day!
go back to Solar Energy Kids >>
See solar toys for kids >>