Turning sunlight into power

Solar panels work by converting sunlight into electricity using a process called the photovoltaic effect. Each solar panel houses many solar cells (aka: PV or photovoltaic cells), which are built out of a semiconductor material, like silicon. When sunlight hits these solar cells (aka PV or photovoltaic cells), the photons energize the silicon by ‘knocking loose’ negative electrons.  These loose electrons move toward the positive side of the cell which produces a Direct Current (DC) electrical charge.

The DC power that the PV cells have produced cannot be used to power your home. This is because homes use Alternating Current (AC) power. This is why every solar system includes an inverter (of some type). Your solar inverter has a critical job: it takes the DC power produced by your modules and converts it to AC power, which can be used by your home, business, or sends the excess power back to the grid.