Most people generally know how solar panels in Arkansas work, but not necessarily the nitty-gritty details. When you’re considering installing solar panels for your home or business, understanding how solar energy is captured by solar panels can give you an idea of how many you need, how cloudy days affect your energy output, and more. We’ve discussed the process of how solar energy is captured by solar panels in Arkansas and how that energy is converted to electricity for you to use in your everyday life.
Solar Cells Absorb Sunlight
When you see a large solar array on the roof of homes, it’s actually a collection of smaller solar panels that have been grouped closely together. This maximizes the effect of the solar panels so the solar cells can absorb sunlight during the day more efficiently. When sunlight hits the panels, the solar cells within the panels are activated and the energy is absorbed. The more solar cells you have in each panel, and the higher the number of panels you have, the more energy the panels will ultimately produce.
What Happens After Sunlight Is Absorbed Into Solar Cells?
Once sunlight is absorbed into solar cells, things get interesting. Every solar cell has a positively-charged layer of silicon and a negatively-charged layer of silicon to create an electric field. As sunlight hits the solar cell, it becomes energized and causes electrons to loosen from the silicon layers. The electrical field around the silicon layers then sets the electrons into motion. Once this process happens, an electrical current is generated and the next step of converting the current to electrical energy occurs.
The Process Of Converting To Electrical Energy
This next step is where things get a little tricky. When sunlight is absorbed into solar panels in Arkansas and creates electrical energy, the energy is in the form of DC (direct current) electricity. Since DC electricity is not commonly used in homes, there’s a conversion process to AC (alternating current) electricity that must occur. The good news is this conversion is simple by using an inverter, which is installed by the solar panel installation company.
Electricity Is Available To Power Your Home Via Solar Panels
When the inverter converts the solar energy from DC to AC electricity, the electricity is then distributed through your home’s electrical panel and throughout your home to power everything you need. One thing homeowners are always pleased to find out is they don’t need to change anything else in their home. Since the solar energy is routed through your existing electrical panel, it operates similarly to using electricity from your city’s electric company.
Can Cloudy Days Negatively Affect Solar Energy Creation?
Now that you know the process of how solar panels in Arkansas create electricity for your home, you might wonder how cloudy days can affect energy output. Solar energy in Arkansas is created at a higher rate on sunny days. However, solar panels can still produce electricity even on cloudy or rainy days. Thanks to net metering, any electricity you overproduce will get pushed back to the grid and you will get credits that you use on cloudy days or at night when your solar is not producing enough electricity to power your home.
Seal Solar wants to educate homeowners and business owners on how solar energy in Arkansas works. Once you understand the process of how energy is captured and converted into electricity for your home, you can get a better vision of how solar panels can benefit your everyday life and budget. To schedule a free estimate or to learn more about solar panels in Arkansas, don’t hesitate to contact us at any time.
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