Solar power using photovoltaic solar panels

The basics about solar power systems using photovoltaic panels

Wow! Myths and legends abound when you hear people talk about solar energy.

Solar energy is quite simply power taken from the sun’s rays and converted into electrical energy. You guessed it - "photovoltaic panel" is the more technical term for "solar panel" while photo means "light" voltaic means "electric"

How is solar energy converted into electricity?

The solar panel is photovoltaic. It takes light from the sun and converts it into electricity through semi-conductors into DC electricity.

The DC electricity generated by the photovoltaic solar panel is channeled through a solar regulator to a battery or bank of batteries, thus acting as a charger and storing the charge in the battery.

The regulator is there to ensure that the battery is charged properly at the correct voltage and is not damaged in any way.

Any DC appliances can then be run directly from the battery, but AC appliances will need a power inverter to change/convert the DC power stored in the battery into AC electricity of 230V AC or 115V AC in some countries.

A basic solar powered system:

Now you know how the sun's energy can be harnessed through the use of photovoltaic panels, regulator, battery, and power inverter