Solar / May 3, 2016

Solar Cells: Behind The Scenes

Explore the Core of Solar Panels
with Mauzy Solar Energy

Here in San Diego, solar panels are impossible to miss. As prevalent as they are throughout our area, you might not know what they are made of or how they work.

Plenty of time has been spent discussing their many advantages. But here at Mauzy, we want to delve deeper and help you understand the inner-workings of the solar cells that make up these panels.

Converting the Light to Our Advantage

When the sun shines down in San Diego, you enjoy both the brightness and warmth of UV rays. However, within the flood of light that you can discern with your naked eye, the sun’s rays are made up of tiny particles called photons. Ultimately, solar cells act as the middleman that converts photons to electricity. Because they convert sunlight to electricity, they are known as photovoltaic (PV) cells.

Before exploring how the conversion process works, let’s take a look at the solar cell itself. In nearly all types of these cells, silicon is used as the semiconductor that generates electricity. Within each cell, there exists two layers of silicon, the Negative Layer and the Positive Layer. The location where the two layers meet is known as the P/N Junction.

When photons from the sun hit a solar cell, the sun’s energy is transferred into the cell. With this new burst of energy, the electrons within the silicon atoms are transported out of the cell to the external load as an electric current. These electrons will move through a cycle, and then return back to where they originated from—making the energy they create reusable and environmentally beneficial.

Reaching the Power Level You Need

In order to power an entire home, multiple cells are combined together as solar modules. When all of the modules are laid together on the roof of a home, they are arranged as panels.

Ultimately, the efficiency of solar cells depends on the amount of sun in a given area. Here in San Diego, our high abundance of sun makes our city an ideal location for solar panel installation.

Shine the Light with Mauzy

Carefully evaluating your budget, roof pitch, power needs and other relevant factors, our Mauzy experts work with you to provide a custom quote for your home. Faithfully serving San Diego residents for decades, our team can answer any financing questions that you may have and determine if you are eligible for our valued Hero Program financing.

Now that you are familiar with the mechanics of solar cells, it’s time to bask in their benefits. To schedule an estimate for your very own solar panel project, fill out our online form or call Mauzy at 619.448.9545 today.