How Solar Works

Solar Energy ↔ Electric Power

On a typical sunny day, the sunshine delivers approximately 1,000 watts of energy per square meter of the earth's surface. Solar panels collect this energy and convert it into electricity we can use. Solar radiation is converted into electricity by photovoltaic, ("photo" = light, "voltaic"=power) cells, or PV for short. These devices rely upon the same silicon materials and semiconducting physics as the computer chips you are using right now. The cells are grouped into panels, and by combining the proper number of these panels and a device called an inverter a solar installation converts the suns energy into alternating current (AC) electricity used in residences or commercial facilities. The number of panels needed for a facility is determined by the facilities load and the amount of the current electricity load you want to offset with renewable solar energy.