How does a solar panel absorb energy from the sun?

Answer 1

There are two types of solar panel, the solar thermal collector, and the photovoltaic cell. The first simply collects thermal energy from the sun and transfers it to a fluid, usually water. this is quite useful for domestic hot water, warming Swimming Pools, and can be used industrially to prewarm feedwater. The photovoltaic cell responds to visible sunlight and produces a small dc current from semiconductor material such as silicon, doped with impurities. The theory says that photons of light energy cause electrons to be displaced resulting in a current flow. In bright sunlight it takes 1 square meter of cells to produce 120 watts of power, but this is only available at peak sun intensity during a 24 hr cycle. These figures are for the first generation of cells, much work is ongoing to improve efficiency and make production cheaper.

Answer 2

Solar panels are made of photovoltaic cells that contain silicon atoms. When sunlight hits these cells, it excites the electrons within the silicon atoms, creating an electric current. This current is then captured and converted into usable electricity.