What is a 'solar panel'?

What is a 'solar panel'?

Dan Sharp (Green Family Expert) gives expert video advice on: Can I install solar panels myself?; Is it easy to repair damaged or missing solar panels? and more...

A solar panel is a device that absorbs solar energy and turns it into direct current that's basically usable electricity. It needs to be exposed as much as possible to solar energy, so ideally it would be put in an unobstructed location, catch the full rays of the sun and basically what happens is you have a thin, mostly silicone plate and as the solar energy hits that it dislodges electrons in that silicone which eventually flow into the wires, and flow into the inverter and into the house.