Solar Energy 101 – Solar radiation is light – also known as electromagnetic radiation – that is emitted by the sun. While every location on Earth receives some sunlight over a year, the amount of solar radiation that reaches any one spot on the Earth’s surface varies.
- Solar technologies capture this radiation and turn it into useful forms of energy.
- There are two main types of solar energy technologies—photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP).
- You’re likely most familiar with PV, which is utilized in solar panels.
- When the sun shines onto a solar panel, energy from the sunlight is absorbed by the PV cells in the panel.
This energy creates electrical charges that move in response to an internal electrical field in the cell, causing electricity to flow. Concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) systems use mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto receivers that collect solar energy and convert it to heat, which can then be used to produce electricity or stored for later use.
- It is used primarily in very large power plants.
- Solar energy technology doesn’t end with electricity generation by PV or CSP systems.
- These solar energy systems must be integrated into homes, businesses, and existing electrical grids with varying mixtures of traditional and other renewable energy sources.
A number of non-hardware costs, known as soft costs, also impact the cost of solar energy. These costs include permitting, financing, and installing solar, as well as the expenses solar companies incur to acquire new customers, pay suppliers, and cover their bottom line.
For rooftop solar energy systems, soft costs represent the largest share of total costs. Solar energy can help to reduce the cost of electricity, contribute to a resilient electrical grid, create jobs and spur economic growth, generate back-up power for nighttime and outages when paired with storage, and operate at similar efficiency on both small and large scales.
Solar energy systems come in all shapes and sizes. Residential systems are found on rooftops across the United States, and businesses are also opting to install solar panels. Utilities, too, are building large solar power plants to provide energy to all customers connected to the grid.
How does a solar panel make electricity?
How exactly is electricity from solar energy produced? – Solar panels are usually made from silicon installed in a metal panel frame with a glass casing. When photons, or particles of light, hit the thin layer of silicon on the top of a solar panel, they knock electrons off the silicon atoms. 
Is solar better than electric?
Why Do People Opt for Solar Power vs. Electricity? – First thing first, it’s important to ask why so many people have opted for solar power rather than using traditional electricity. Although solar equipment can be more expensive initially, the main reason that people choose solar power instead of electricity is the cost savings.
Solar energy is very efficient and able to pay back the cost of installation over a number of years. In this sense, it’s an effective long term investment that pays off pretty quickly (usually around 5-7 years or less). Not only will your energy bills be more manageable, but you’ll also be doing your part for the environment too.
Solar panels are an amazing way to care for the environment and lower your eco-impact. And if that wasn’t enough, the benefits also extend to repairs and maintenance with solar heating systems being very long-lasting. People often choose solar solutions as they require less day-to-day care and are more reliable than electric systems.
Do solar panels work without direct sunlight?
Mar.01, 2022 Solar panels work best in direct sunlight, but they can also work on cloudy days and in partial shade. This is because photovoltaic (PV) panels use particles of light, called photons, to generate electricity. Photons are present in direct and indirect sunlight, so solar panels can operate in both conditions.
