The answer to, “How does solar energy produce electricity?” is based on the relationship between solar panels and sunlight. To generate electricity from sunlight, the photons that the Sun radiates must be collected and converted into a usable format. This ability to create energy from sunlight is known as the “Photovoltaic Effect”.
So how is solar energy generated? The photovoltaic effect occurs when sunlight strikes the thin layer of silicon that makes up solar panels, and knocks electrons off of the atoms in that silicon. That kicks off the production of electricity using solar energy. Solar cells have a positive side and a negative side, so once those electrons are knocked free, they become negatively charged and will naturally seek out the positively charged protons to connect with.
How does solar power produce energy? Opposites attract, and the attraction of negatively charged electrons and positively charged protons is what makes solar power possible. This flow of charged particles from one side of the solar cell to the other side is what’s known as current, or direct current (DC) electricity.
The more sunlight that strikes a solar panel, the more electrons that get knocked free, and the more current that solar panel will generate. So if you’re asking, “How is solar energy converted to electrical energy?” just remember that solar panels convert more solar energy into electricity when there is more sunlight hitting them at more direct angles.