How Solar Power Works:
The Basics

Getting the Solar Power Facts and finding out how solar power works can be the first step in a lifelong fascination with the power of the sun.

Unfortunately, Solar Power Info can also lead to a frustrating pit of volts, watts, inverters, and photovoltaics.

Let's just skip the frustration and get right to the fascination.

(For more info check out our pages on the History of Solar Power and the Future of Solar Power )

The first thing to realize is that solar power actually works two different ways. The first involves the heat of the sun or Solar Thermal Energy .

This heat warms up water for our showers and it can also heat up the air in our homes. Pretty simple, right?

(Find out more about solar energy's Advantages and Disadvantages .)

Solar power works a different way when we use it to create electricity for our homes.

Instead of using the heat from the sun, solar panels use the sun's light to get electrons moving through a wire and into your toaster where they're put to work toasting your sesame seed bagel.

Sounds delicious, doesn't it?

We get more in depth about how a solar panel works in the Solar Panel Section .

Also, be sure to check out our page on the Cost of Solar Power .

There is a lot to learn about solar power and some of it can get pretty technical, but don't let that get in the way of the big picture:

We've got an enormous ball of burning gas 93 million miles away that provides us with all the energy we could ever need.

Now all we've got to do is put that energy to work!


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