Solar Energy - What is it?
Energy is fundamental to our society as it is the single source of power to homes, businesses and industries alike. However, the process of generating electricity using fossil fuels is the world's largest source of air pollution.

To preserve the quality of our environment and save natural resources, natural energy sources such as the Sun can be converted into electricity to charge batteries and power many systems and appliances.

Solar cells, made mainly from silicon are used to convert sunlight into electrical energy without harming the environment. The solar cell works by displacing electrons to create an internal electrostatic field.

The solar panels that you may see on parking meters, roofs and calculators are called photovoltaic cells (PV). Photovoltaics convert direct sunlight into electricity. So how do they work?

Photovoltaics are mostly made from a material called silicon, a semiconductor. The cell absorbs part of the light into the semiconductor transfering the energy from the light into the silicon. The energy loosens the electrons to allow them to flow more freely. PV cells have an electric field that force the now loosened electrons in a certain direction creating a current.

By attaching electrodes at the top and bottom of the PV cell the current can be drawn and used externally. The cells voltage is created from the cells electric field(s) and this, combined with the current defines the power that can be generated.

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