How Do Solar Panels Work? A Clear, Plain-English Explanation
From sunlight to electricity: how solar cells convert photons into usable power, and what that means for the system on your roof. No jargon overload.
Solar panels turn sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity using the photovoltaic effect. Each panel is made of many solar cells — usually silicon — and when sunlight hits them, it knocks electrons loose and creates a flow of electricity.
The photovoltaic effect, simply
Light arrives as packets of energy called photons. When a photon strikes a solar cell, it can transfer enough energy to an electron to free it from its atom. That freed electron is captured and directed into a circuit — that flowing current is your electricity.
From DC to the power you use
- Panels generate DC electricity
- An inverter converts DC to AC (the alternating current your home and grid use)
- AC flows to your switchboard, powering loads directly or exporting to the grid
- Any surplus can be stored in a battery for later
Why efficiency is less than you think
Commercial panels convert roughly 18–23% of incoming sunlight into electricity. The rest is reflected or lost as heat. That’s normal and expected — higher efficiency panels simply pack more power into the same roof area.