However, it wasn’t until 1954 that scientists at Bell Labs accidentally discovered the modern solar electric cell–mostly on accident. While experimenting with properties of silicon semiconductors, they realized that when certain impurities were added, these semiconductors generated a strong electric current in the sunlight.

By later part of the 20th century, solar energy production became less expensive and easier to manufacture at a large scale, so they started to become more popular in residential and commercial uses.

And now that we’re in the 21st century, we’re seeing how quickly Hawaiians in particular have adopted solar energy. This is because traditional forms of electricity, like coal and petroleum, have to be imported. These resources are 3 to 4 times more expensive than in the mainland. With Hawaii’s tropical climate, it makes us the prime location for a full adoption of solar electrical energy.

But even if that gives you a general idea of how we convert photons from the sun into electricity, you’re probably still wondering how solar panels generate electricity for your home.

How do solar panels work step by step?

So, a solar company shows up at your home and installs solar panels on your roof. But how do they work exactly? Like we briefly mentioned before, solar panels work as a semiconductor—meaning they conduct electricity better than an insulator like rubber or glass, but less than a pure conductor like copper or aluminum.

If you want to take an ever deeper exploration, we love this Ted-Ed video that does a great job of showing how solar panels function. But to sum it up, each solar panel is made up of many smaller solar cells. Each solar cell is filled with silicon crystals aligned in a grid, covered by a glass casing.

Solar panels also have two side—the positive and negative sides. If you remember from your science classes in high school or college, positively charged and negatively charged particles do not like to be alone. They’d rather combine to become neutral.

How do solar panels turn sunlight into usable energy?

The way solar panels are set up, when the panels absorb sunlight, the sunlight’s photons excite the electrons in the silicon on the negative side of the panel (or the N side.) These electrons want to move (to become neutral again, remember?) and when they move over to the positive side (P side) this movement creates the photovoltaic effect.

And because these electrons simply move from one side of the panel to the other, there is hardly any wear and tear on the technology and solar panels have a remarkable lifespan.

What is a photovoltaic cell?

You’ve probably heard of solar panels being called PV panels or photovoltaic panels, and that is why! Solar panels create the photovoltaic effect. Many photovoltaic cells make up a solar panel, and many solar panels (or solar arrays) are needed to create enough energy to power a home or a city.

Now, if you’re getting lost in the new vocabulary and science nitty gritty, you can simply be satisfied with the fact that going solar, especially here in Hawaii, is going to save you big!

But if you’re still here for the breakdown, we have one more step to cover.

How is DC energy converted to AC energy for my home?

With all of these electrons cruising around in your solar panels generating electricity, there is still the issue of getting that energy into your house to turn on your lights and your washing machine.

We’ve got to convert the DC electricity in the panels to the AC electricity needed to power your home. DC electricity means it’s powered by a direct current, those electrons flowing in one direction. But you need AC electricity, or alternating current, to use in your home.

What is a solar inverter?

A solar inverter plays the vital role in a residential solar system of converting the DC electricity generated by your solar panels to the AC electricity you need. A solar inverter does this by changing the direction of the DC input rapidly until it becomes an AC output. The inverter then sends this AC output to your home to use.

According to the Solar Energy Technologies Office,

“If you have a household solar system, your inverter probably performs several functions. In addition to converting your solar energy into AC power, it can monitor the system and provide a portal for communication with computer networks.

Solar-plus–battery storage systems rely on advanced inverters to operate without any support from the grid in case of outages, if they are designed to do so.”

Excess energy and net metering

One note particularly relevant here in Hawaii, is that many homes with solar panels in our sunny state actually produce more solar power than they need. In the past, and still commonly in other states, excess energy is sent back to the grid as AC electricity so that other electricity users can take advantage of it.

Here in Hawaii, we no longer have net metering in place, so many residential solar users choose to also have solar batteries installed in their solar systems to store up excess energy produced to use when the sun isn’t shining.

What happens to solar power when it’s cloudy or rainy?

Our discussion of solar batteries and net metering is the perfect segue to talk about what happens when it is rainy, cloudy, or at night. In many states, solar owners rely on additional electricity from their utility to use at night or if it’s rainy or cloudy.

Here in Hawaii though, it’s much more common to have one, or several, solar batteries so that you can be off the grid and don’t need to use the utility at all.

At Family First Solar, we’re happy to set customers up with either solution—where they still have the ability to get energy from the grid as needed, or to be completely off the grid with a reserve of extra energy in solar batteries.

Do solar panels work better at sea level?

Solar panels actually work better at a higher altitude because there are more solar UV rays at higher altitudes. Having said that, Hawaii is still one of the best places in the country to have solar panels, simply because we get so much more sun than other states!

And, Hawaii has pretty consistent temperatures year round which means our solar equipment lasts for longer. Big rises and drops in temperature cause more wear and tear on solar panels, and thankfully, we don’t need to be concerned with that here.

Is it worth it to get solar panels for my home in Hawaii?

Hawaiians, both residentially and in the government, have long been early adopters of solar energy. And in most cases, it just makes sense to go solar for your home. If you’re interested, give us a call at Family First Solar, and we can answer your remaining questions about solar power and give you a free estimate.For most of our clients, they’re able to completely eliminate, or greatly reduce their energy bill. And after your solar system is paid off, all you have left to do is save money, month after month! Hawaii’s incredible solar tax credit and the federal solar tax credit make it even easier to get to saving. Give us a call to schedule a free estimate today.