Solar panel facts for kids

Solar PV modules (top) and two solar hot water panels (bottom) mounted on rooftops

Solar panels are amazing devices that capture energy from the sun for us to use. There are two main kinds of solar panels. Some collect heat, and others make electricity. Solar panels that collect heat are often used to warm up homes or provide hot water.

Solar panels use renewable energy. This means the energy source, the sun, will not run out. Long ago, in the 1900s, some people used the sun's heat to create steam. This steam would then power a steam engine to turn a generator and make electricity. Today, it's usually cheaper to make electricity directly from the sun's light. This modern way uses no moving parts, making it very reliable.

Many homes have solar panels on their rooftops. Larger setups for businesses or factories are often on the ground. These ground-mounted panels can even move to follow the sun as it crosses the sky. Solar panels are also very important in outer space. They are one of the only ways to power things like satellites and the International Space Station.

How Solar Panels Work

Getting Heat from the Sun

Solar panels designed for heat usually look like a flat box with a clear window on top. Inside the box are pipes. Both the pipes and the box are often painted black. Black is a great color for absorbing heat from the sun.

These pipes are filled with a special liquid, like water or oil, that carries heat. A pump moves this liquid through the pipes. As the liquid flows through the sunny panel, it gets very hot. When the hot liquid leaves the panel, it goes to a device called a heat exchanger. This device transfers the heat to water or air that you want to warm up. After giving away its heat, the now cooler liquid is pumped back into the panel to collect more heat.

Making Electricity from Light

The other type of solar panel makes electricity directly from sunlight. These are called photovoltaic (PV) panels. They are made of many small units called solar cells. When sunlight hits these cells, it creates an electric current. This is a very clean way to make electricity because it doesn't burn fuel or create pollution.

Recycling Solar Panels

Solar panels that make electricity are built to last a long time, usually about 30 years. Most panels made in the 1980s are still working today. When panels do reach the end of their life, many can be recycled.

Over 90% of a solar panel can be recycled to make new panels or other materials. First, workers remove the metal frames and glass plate. This leaves the solar cells, which are sandwiched between a special plastic called EVA resin and a back film. To get to the cells, the resin and backing must be carefully removed. Recycling helps reduce waste and saves resources.

What Solar Panels Are Used For

Solar panels have many helpful uses. Here are some of the top ways they are used:

• Heating your home or providing hot water.
• Powering pumps for water or other liquids.
• Charging batteries during the day for lights and other devices to use at night.
• Providing electricity for your home, camper, cabin, or tool shed.
• Heating swimming pools using special solar hot water panels on your roof.
• Powering spacecraft for space exploration and even helping with new types of transportation.

Solar panels on the International Space Station during the STS-97 mission.

New Ideas and Innovations

Solar panels have become much cheaper to use over time. In some parts of Asia, solar energy is now cheaper than oil, diesel, or natural gas. Many experts believe solar energy will soon be a main source of power for the world.

Scientists and engineers are always finding new ways to improve solar panels. They are making them more efficient, meaning they can turn more sunlight into electricity. They are also working on using solar power for cars and developing new types of solar cells made from materials like silicone to make them even more useful.

Solar Shingles

Thin-film PV building-integrated solar shingles look like regular roof shingles.

Solar shingles are a cool new kind of solar panel. They are designed to look just like regular asphalt roof shingles. This is great for homes where people don't want the look of traditional solar panels on their roof. They blend right in while still collecting energy from the sun!

Images for kids

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  A large solar array mounted on a rooftop.

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  An example of how solar modules are connected, showing diodes.

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  Solar modules mounted on solar trackers that follow the sun.

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  Workers installing solar panels on a residential rooftop.

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  A chart showing how voltage and current work for solar panels.

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  A timeline showing how efficient solar modules have become since 1988.

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  This chart shows how clouds can affect how much solar energy is produced.

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  This chart shows that as more solar panels are made, their cost goes down.

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  A short-term comparison of how much different ways of making electricity cost.

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  A long-term comparison of how much different ways of making electricity cost.

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  The Solar Settlement with the Sun Ship building in Germany.

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  Technicians installing photovoltaic modules on a roof.

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  A solar array with 24 solar modules in rural Mongolia.

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  Solar modules on the International Space Station in space.

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  Weatherproof connectors used for DC power in solar panels.

See also

In Spanish: Panel solar para niños