We've seen them for years on rooftops, atop highway warning signs, and elsewhere, but how many of us know how solar panels actually work? How do the photovoltaic cells that lie at the heart of them turn sunlight ("photo") into electricity ("voltaic")? In this feature, familiarize yourself with the parts of a basic photovoltaic cell, and find out how it goes about harnessing the free energy of the sun.

Concepts

photovoltaic cells, solar panels, solar energy

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Additional Tags

solar power, how do solar panels work?

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Classroom Considerations

• Knovation Readability Score: 4 (1 low difficulty, 5 high difficulty)