The world has gone mad for solar power and panels, with governments throwing money at solar schemes left, right and center while celebrities espouse the qualities of this seemingly magical green energy source. Although you’re probably sharp enough to realize that solar power must mean that the sun is involved in the power generating process, you might be keen to learn more about this increasingly popular energy source.

Solar power systems use a series of photovoltaic (PV) cells contained within a flat, shiny panel. The cells are made up of two charged layers, in balance, wrapped inside a semi-conductive material like silicon. When sunlight hits the cells, the balanced charged layers are knocked out of sync: this causes electrons to move between the layers, generating an electrical current and voila – solar power is created. Continue reading →