More solar energy arrives at the surface of the earth in one hour than the entire planet consumes in a year! There is more than enough solar energy around to power everything we need, so lets use it.
Solar energy is a term used to describe the use of energy arriving at the surface of the earth which comes from the sun. There are many ways to use that energy. One way is called photovoltaic (PV) solar energy. The word photovoltaic comes from the words photo, meaning light, and voltaic, meaning electricity. Photovoltaic solar energy uses the optical light emitted by the sun to produce electricity.
A photovoltaic solar panel consists of layers of flat material. A layer of material which emits electrons when light strikes it (n-type semiconductor), and a layer of material which is able to absorb electrons (p-type semiconductor). There is also a barrier between these layers (p-n junction). The process of generating electricity works as a cycle.
This all happens because rays of sunlight striking the PV solar panel give the electrons in the n-type semiconductor a little extra energy, and this enables some of them to be able to jump into the circuit. Sunlight has this effect on solar panels because rays of light from the sun are very energetic, much more energetic than the rays of light from a light bulb.
Each time the rays of sunlight cause an electron to jump from the negative side to the positive side, a flow of electrons is induced along the cables connected to the PV solar panels, and through the circuits in your house, powering your appliances.
At midday, the light from the sun is at its strongest, and this is when the most electrons can jump across, generating the most electricity.
