How Solar Works
Learn how energy from the sun becomes clean, green electricity that powers Australian homes and businesses.
Using solar energy is an excellent way to reduce energy bills and carbon footprint. And with SunEnergy, you’ve selected a reputed solar brand that has been empowering Australians for years. But how does solar work? That’s an interesting question!
How Solar Works
Learn how energy from the sun becomes clean, green electricity.
Solar energy is an excellent way to reduce energy bills and carbon footprint. With SunEnergy, you’ve selected a reputed solar brand that has been empowering Australians for years. But how does solar work? That’s an interesting question.
Solar Panels
Do you know that the amount of sunlight the Earth receives in an hour is adequate to handle the planet’s energy needs for an entire year? It’s true.
With a solar system, you take advantage of this free energy source to power your home.
How Solar Systems Work
Solar Radiation Falls on PV Panels
Depending on a household's energy requirements, an array of solar panels is installed on the rooftop. These panels are made up of PV (Photovoltaic) cells, a metal frame, wiring, and a glass case surrounded by a special coating. When solar radiation or sunlight falls on the solar panels, the PV cells are responsible for absorbing them.
Production of Electric Current
PV cells are made from a semiconducting material like silicon. Each cell features a thin semiconductor layer with two silicon layers- one with a positive charge and the other with a negative charge, to create an electrical field. When sunlight falls on the PV cells, electrons within the semiconductor’s atoms ‘come loose.’ The electric field sets these electrons in motion to generate electrical current.
Electrical Energy Conversion
Solar panels generate DC (Direct Current) electricity. However, you need AC (Alternating Current) electricity to power the appliances at your home. So, once the solar system generates DC electricity, it is converted into usable AC electricity with the help of an inverter. You can find systems with a single inverter for converting all the DC electricity generated by the system and ones with individual microinverters for each solar panel.
AC Electricity Powers Your Home
After the generated electricity is converted into AC electricity via the inverter, it can run through your home's electrical panel to power all the appliances. As the electricity generated by the solar system works just like the electricity supplied to your home through a power grid, you don’t need to change anything within your home.
How does a grid connection work with Solar Panels?
Any home that is connected to the electrical grid will have something called a utility meter that your energy provider uses to measure and supply power to your home. When you install solar panels on your roof, they are eventually connected to your home’s utility meter. The production of your solar system can actually be accessed and measured by this meter.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Want to learn more about solar systems? Some of the most commonly asked solar energy-related questions are answered below-
We work with only the best in the industry. Some of our solar brands are SolarEdge, Enphase, CanadianSolar, GoodWe, AusGem, Alpha ESS, and Astronergy.
Yes! Assessing the energy needs of a household or commercial facility is the first step in switching to solar. You can contact us and talk to one of our friendly solar consultants to book a no-obligation energy assessment.
