Can solar panels power your home?

Solar power has many applications, from powering calculators to cars to entire communities. It even powers space stations like the Webb Space Telescope. But most people are concerned about how solar panels can power their house and reduce their electricity bill. How Do Solar Panels Work? Here’s a step-by-step overview of how home solar power works:

How do solar photovoltaic cells work?

Solar photovoltaic cells are grouped in panels, and panels can be grouped into arrays of different sizes to power water pumps, power individual homes, or provide utility-scale electricity generation. Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (copyrighted)

Do solar panels generate electricity during the day?

Solar panels require sunlight to generate electricity, so they do not generate electricity during the day. However, home solar systems typically generate excess electricity during the day, which can be stored in batteries or sent to the local grid in exchange for net metering credits.

What is a photovoltaic (PV) cell?

A photovoltaic (PV) cell, commonly called a solar cell, is a nonmechanical device that converts sunlight directly into electricity. Some PV cells can convert artificial light into electricity. Sunlight is composed of photons, or particles of solar energy.

What is solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation?

Solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation is the process of converting energy from the sun into electricity using solar panels. Solar panels, also called PV panels, are combined into arrays in a PV system. PV systems can also be installed in grid-connected or off-grid (stand-alone) configurations.

How do solar panels work?

As we've explained, the solar cells that make up each solar panel do most of the heavy lifting. Through the photovoltaic effect, your solar panels produce a one-directional electrical current, called direct current (DC) electricity. Your home can't use DC electricity directly—it needs to be converted to alternating current (AC) electricity first.