How solar cells works

Photovoltaic, pronounced fotovoltayik, comes from Latin: photo (meaning light) + voltaic (meaning energy).

A PV cell is made up of two thin layers of semi-conducting material (silicon) that generate electricity when exposed to daylight.

When light shines on a PV cell the material absorbs some of the light particles called photons. When a photon is absorbed, an electron is released within one layer of the semi-conducting material.

These "free" electrons will be attracted towards the other layer of semi-conducting material so they move across the boundary between the layers.

This movement creates a flow of electricity between the two layers within the cell. This flow is called "current".

Metal contacts (the silver looking solder) take the electricity away in the form of a direct current (DC electricity).

Find out how a solar system works.