Over 16,526,150 people are on fubar.
What are you waiting for?
Photovoltaic energy is electricity made from light. Solar cells are devices that use photovoltaic energy. They soak up energy from sunlight and turn it into electricity. Solar cells can be used to power a small gadget, such as a personal media player. They can be combined into large panels to produce electricity in a power station. Click here to read more - Build your own solar cell and Home Solar Power Systems
People today use solar energy in many ways. One way is to use the heating effect of the Sun. Another is to make electricity from sunlight. Both these forms of solar energy are renewable.
Thermal energy
Every day, thermal energy (energy from heat) reaches Earth from Sun. It warms buildings and other objects. This is called passive (unmoving) solar power, People have always used this energy for warmth.
Active solar power systems use pumps or fans to move heat around. They also use panels to collect the Sun’s heat. Dark panels with pipes running through them are set up in s sunny place. The panels absorb the heat and transfer (move) it to liquid in the pipes. The hot liquid can be used to heat a building or a tank of water.
How solar cells work
1. Photovoltaic cells have a surface of silicon (a substance made from sand).
2. When sunlight strikes the silicon, it affects its electrons. Electrons are parts of the atoms that make up the silicon.
3. The electrons move out to the atoms. When electrons move, they create an electrical current.
4. This electrical current flows into the battery.
5. The electricity can be used straight away or stared in the battery.
