How Does Solar Energy Work?

How does solar energy work?

As you might have guessed, the basis of solar lighting revolves around the sun. But how exactly is the sun's energy converted into electricity?

Basically, solar devices contain photovoltaics or solar cells. These are the mechanisms that convert sunlight into electricity. They do this by using layers of crystalline silicon and chemicals that create layers of negatively charged electrons and positively charged spaces.

When sunlight passes through a solar cell, it excites negatively charged electrons and pushes them into positively charged space. From there, the flow of electrons is carried through embedded wires in the form of direct current, which is then stored in a battery inside the solar cell until it is needed.

Throughout the day, the battery charges as it absorbs sunlight and converts it into electricity. As sunlight wanes, the solar cell stops the conversion process.

How do outdoor solar lights work?

Now that you have some understanding of the solar power generation process, you can see how it can be applied to outdoor solar lighting.

The process detailed above is exactly what happens in outdoor solar lights. For this reason, it's especially important to place outdoor solar lights in areas that receive the most sunlight and won't be blocked by plants or debris.

Solar panels must be able to get as much sunlight as possible to charge the batteries during the day.

Solar lights use photoreceptors to detect when they are going dark. This device is used to activate lights, usually made of light-emitting diodes or LEDs. The electricity stored in the battery powers the lights throughout the night.