In recent years, the popularity of solar panels has spiked with the increasing awareness of the need to move away from fossil fuels. Solar panels have been around for decades, having first been used in the 1960’s by space pioneers. Despite being around for so long, many people do not understand the science behind solar panels, and more importantly, how they are able to generate electricity from the Sun. In nature, the Sun provides energy to the Earth and most of the life that lives on it. Solar panels were invented to capture this energy and then convert it into usable energy which can then be used to power appliances in day-to-day life. The process is not as complicated as you may imagine, with it mainly to do with the flow of electrons triggered by the energy of the sun. Have a look for yourself and answer one of life’s great mysteries; how do solar panels work? Get those GCSE Chemistry books ready for reference!
