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| Photovoltaic cells use silicon wafers to produce electricity from the sun’s rays. But as the basic structure of silicon is a stable, crystalline form that is poor conductor of electricity, the silicon must be made with impurities that change the natural pairing relationships of the silicon electrons, and create free electrons and protons that move about to create an electrical current. To create a current, we must have positive and negative charge, and that is achieved by adding two different impurities in different layers, one phosphorous, (N-type for negative; and one boron, (P-type for positive). When we add heat to the mix, we further destabilize the electrons, exciting them to move more freely. The electrons flow from the “N” side to the “P” side, creating an electrical field. |
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| The voltage created by an individual cell is small, but when wired in sequence to form a panel, and when panels are connected to form an array, we can realize significant electrical power from the sun. The voltage created by the panels is DC, or direct current. To be used by your home appliances, or to be sold back to the “Grid”, the current must be converted to AC, or alternating current. This is accomplished by an inverter, which is chosen to match the output of your system. |
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| In this way, your home generates its own power, with no maintenance and no real cost, apart from the initial investment. With tax rebates, power company subsidies, and property tax incentives the return on investment can be realized in just a few years. |
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How it works
