MR. : All right, we all know that the sun’s
energy creates heat and light. But it can
also be converted to make electricity, and
lots of it. One technology is called solar
photovoltaics or PV for short. You’ve probably
seen PV panels around for years, but recent
advancements have greatly improved their efficiency
and electrical output. Enough energy from
the sun hits the earth every hour to power
the planet for an entire year.
Here’s how it works. You see, sunlight is
made up of tiny packets of energy called photons.
These photons radiate out from the sun, and
about 93 million miles later, they collide
with a semiconductor on a solar panel here
on Earth. It all happens at the speed of light.
Take a closer look, and you can see the panel
is made up of several individual cells, each
with a positive and a negative layer, which
create an electric field. It works something
like a battery. So the photons strike the
cell, and their energy frees some electrons
in the semiconductor material. The electrons
create an electric current, which is harnessed
by wires connected to the positive and negative
sides of the cell.
The electricity created is multiplied by the
number of cells in each panel and the number
of panels in each solar array. Combined, a
solar array can make a lot of electricity
for your home or business. This rooftop solar
array powers this home, and the array on top
of this warehouse creates enough electricity
for about a thousand homes.
OK, there are some obvious advantages to solar
PV technology. It produces clean energy. It
has no emissions, no moving parts, it doesn’t
make any noise and it doesn’t need water
or fossil fuels to produce power. And it can
be located right where the power is needed,
in the middle of nowhere, or it can be tied
into the power grid.
Solar PV is growing fast, and it can play
a big role in America’s clean energy economy
anywhere the sun shines.
