What is Solar Power? How Do Solar Panels Work?

Most of us have seen solar panels- you know, those big blueish panels- either on top of houses or maybe even on recent projects we have built. Is solar power just the newest “thing” or is it “the” thing (or one of several things) to help us with the current energy crisis. But what exactly are those panels and how do they work? In today’s episode of Electrician U, Dustin explains this aspect of electrical work, how solar power works, and talks about new tools/equipment that go along with it.
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#electrician #electrical #electricity
A big shout out to today’s sponsor Fluke for sponsoring this episode. They provided us with the new SMFT-1000 Multifunction PV Tester Performance Analyzer to test out. This meter is an all-in-one testing device that verifies PV (photovoltaic) system performance and safety that is designed to be used in all aspects of solar type electrical work. But Fluke also makes the absolute best electrical testing meters on the market today. Offering meters that range from the basic tic type tracer to multifunction multimeters to meggers, Fluke is guaranteed to have a meter to suit your needs. Ask any professional in the trades who makes the best meters, and their answer will be Fluke. Check out their website to see the entire line of electrical & solar testing meters.
Electrical energy is harnessed from nature to be used in our daily lives. Whether its from a coal fired plant, a hydroelectric plant using water from a lake, wind energy from turbines, or even power from the action of the ocean’s waves moving back and forth, our power comes from energy- we are just harnessing and distributing it, not really generating it ourselves. So, it makes total sense that we use something that is renewable and abundant- enter Solar Power. The process of harnessing solar energy to be used starts with the sun as it releases photons that are captured by those blue solar panels. The panels themselves are made of 2 different layers of silicon. One of those has an excess of electrons and the other has a lack of electrons. As the photons interact with the different silicon layers, a difference in potential is generated and a voltage is induced. In essence that is the entirety of the process as it comes in from the sun.
But there are several other factors that come into play now that solar power is “generated”. Solar panels typically generate about 300w per panel. So, several panels would need to be linked together to generate the required wattage that the customer needs. Much like figuring out the size of a backup generator to power a portion of an overall load in the event of power failure, we must figure out what items need to be powered by the solar array. Another factor to consider is that the panels convert the sun’s photons on a DC level, while our power consumption is on an AC level. An inverter is required to convert this DC to AC and that inverter would also need to be sized and accounted for in the overall system planning.
Solar panels placement will also affect their performance. To operate at maximum efficiency, they must be aimed where they will be in sunlight (hard to capture those light photons if they are in constant shade!) for as many hours as possible and at the proper angle.

[@MichaelJCaboose013]

Residential solar designer here, discovered your channel while trying to better understand electrical code. Great video, would love to see more videos on solar!

[@cheifciatable]

I'm a solar installer. I'm glad you did a segment about solar and the inner workings of it. The fluke tester would be a good tool to have, but way too expensive for my pathetic payrate at the moment. I found your channel by looking up emt pipe bending. I continually check in with your channel to further educate myself about electrical work, since I have been dealing with main service panels, line taps and other interconnection methods. Thanks again for all of what you do. I've been learning a good deal about every aspect of my job and electrical work through not only what I do, but the content that you produce.

[@loganjmcquaid]

You got a great attitude. Don't know where you live but the IBEW can show you a lot more of that type of work and usually pays a lot better. You do you brother :)

[@jonlengel3341]

I’d love to see you go over a solar install and explain the components what they do and where they hook up and tie in to other parts of the system.

[@FishFind3000]

I’m sure he has never touched any solar systems. Plus with his previous track record of messing up basic stuff I wouldn’t trust his knowledge on solar.

[@ryanunslavd1656]

Same. I’m a solar installer

[@palashagrawal1884]

​@@FishFind3000can you recommend some great sources for learning about solar power systems? Thanks in advance.

[@hunterchrouser6850]

More Solar videos please! I would love to learn more about powerwalls and energy storage systems in general. Thank you

[@MrDontcareify]

That’s crazy that Flue gave this to you because at retail I think this tester setup is quite expensive. It goes for, I think, close to $8000 or more.

[@arureh11]

8000 is easily worth the free advertising they get from this channel

[@FishFind3000]

Idk it might be a demo item

[@Nathan-zd6qz]

I tried to find the price on their website but I gave up after their stupid bot popped up even after a refresh. I closed out.

[@kpc5]

@@Nathan-zd6qz This video is a total advertisement.

[@PiMotoTours]

Where is the Dustin 50% off discount code?

[@jdhtejas13]

More about solar would be great.

[@MrDontcareify]

What Dustin is talking about for the silicon in the panels is known as doping. One side is boron doped the other side is phosphorus doped.

[@jimcapino1667]

Welcome to fluke. I was the one in Dec during your contest that I asked you to compare your voltmeter to fluke meters. I use the fluke 87,88,and 99. I see you like this meter.

[@tomnielsen3661]

Great job as always, the way that you explain things is very easy to understand, even when you are talking about things that I have no knowledge of, like solar panels. I have also notice the a change with your choice of words, Thank you

[@pavelsidor]

First year adult mature apprentice (27 yo) Company works in commercial but mainly Maintenance This stuff is gold mate! Been there for a month and I’m lovin’ ya videos

[@QE007]

If you do another solar based video can you explain what a neutral forming transformer is and why they are not built into inverters?🙏🏾

[@SuperVstech]

There are PLENTY of inverters with neutral forming transformers… look for split phase.

[@SergeantSOLAR]

I wish u would have posted this b4 i purchased my elejoy solar millimeter

[@Pikaohms]

Awesome! I'm currently in a photovoltaic class

[@Mr.Schitzengigglez]

Check out Will Prowse, as well. The dude is a giant wealth of knowledge on solar.

[@michellet_thatsme]

​@@Mr.Schitzengigglez Hey, thanks for this. I love when people reccomend other places to get quality info.

[@Mr.Schitzengigglez]

@@michellet_thatsme no problem. I learned a lot from him. He was a small channel, powering a van with solar,when I started watching him. That was a long time ago.

[@palashagrawal1884]

Which class you are attending?

[@leonardodivinci804]

Can you do a review of the new Leviton edge switches and receptacles? Thanks.

[@esthermcgough3995]

I bought a Bluetti AC200MAX so far i have added a 350w portable solar panel going to add to my setup as I can

[@MrsCyImsofly]

Thank you. Helps me plan my sensor system to prospect a future solar project's feasibility.

[@jamesg6071]

Just a suggestion but I would really like to see an AIO Solar Inverter Installation with server rack batteries and complete wiring of the off grid system

[@GS-lh2nx]

That fluke meter is nice but it looks like the ones that every electrician uses in the uk. Are they basically the same?

[@artisanelectrics]

Yeah I’ve used one for years great bit of kit

[@GS-lh2nx]

@@artisanelectrics Thank you. And I have enjoyed following you on your channel as well across the pond. It's quite a bit different over there.

[@johnnyjohnson2942]

I've been using Fluke for 40+ years.

[@jimcapino1667]

Now you understand why fluke is a better meter. I own several and was talking about this in Dec.

[@markferguson3477]

👍

[@mackfisher4487]

This is a great thing if someone else buys it for you, or you can use the 5K to pay bills. Of course if you know what you're doing you can use the same meter that you already have in your truck.

[@FishFind3000]

Yea, he didn’t buy this $8,000 meter. Funny how this video is supposed to be on how solar panels work but it’s mostly a fluke ad…

[@martf1061]

​@@FishFind3000 he's becoming more and more a sellout lol

[@ronbonick4265]

looks like a Fluke 1653 I used for years but they are 4-5K each ( used to cost that much anyway)

[@kenanderson7801]

Thanks Man I Dig your University Much help to me.

[@martf1061]

When will they put solar panels on the cars?? Could slowly recharge cars when parked or use less power when cruising on highways.

[@raghunananlall5]

Very nice. What is the price for that tool

[@calmeilles]

£5,614.80 + additional fees It's Fluke, what were you expecting? 🤣🤣 (Product link is a the bottom of the expanded video description. I guess it'll be localised to wherever you are.)

[@Jcewazhere]

Solar panels are just big LEDs that work backwards. Run some current through them and they emit light, usually in infrared. Shine a laser at a normal LED and you'll create a tiny charge.

[@oregonsignalfan]

Hey Dustin, could you make a video on pin/sleeve connectors and also explain the difference between north american and international types?

[@christopherperez6126]

Bro, literally The pefect video right now

[@rcmrcm3370]

Heads up, AC switches are not suitable for DC loads.

[@jamesmcpherson3924]

Diode repair is about to be a big business.

[@doctorgoodwrench]

Big fan of the channel and all the effort put into production, honestly.... But I have to say I'm pretty disappointed about the failure to address the blunder video regarding current measurement through a multimeter. Did I miss a follow up / correction somewhere?

[@ImBasileX]

Wow my phone pocket opened this but I like this

[@jeffreykornspan9053]

Nice demo, but do i need a small business loan to purchase one?

[@Stones_Throw]

A homeowner must clearly understand the hardware & installation cost vs. benefit. Understanding that the breakeven point is likely many many years away. Consult with homes insurer for coverage provided. Utilities do not purchase power at the same rate sold. Solar generation does not necessarily increase a homes value. Do not skimp on permits and inspections. Be prepared for a lien on home until paid in full.

[@richarde735]

have they increased the efficiency rating of solar panels yet? the highest I’ve seen is 23% efficient.

[@QE007]

The higher efficiency panels are still in development because they use provoskite cells and those aren’t commercially available yet. The highest efficiency for silicone solar cells cap out around 26%

[@MrDontcareify]

Solar panel efficiency is important but what’s more important in my mind is also inverter efficiency. All solar energy currently has to be converted into AC power from DC power. I’m in the industry and solar panels are almost all around the 20% mark already, but inverter technology on the other hand hasn’t kept up at all.

[@aredditor4272]

They've existed for a long time, but currently priced beyond practical except for products sent to space. From wiki: Up until the early 1990s, solar arrays used in space primarily used crystalline silicon solar cells. Since the early 1990s, Gallium arsenide-based solar cells became favored over silicon because they have a higher efficiency and degrade more slowly than silicon in the space radiation environment. The most efficient solar cells currently in production are now multi-junction photovoltaic cells. These use a combination of several layers of indium gallium phosphide, gallium arsenide and germanium to harvest more energy from the solar spectrum. Leading edge multi-junction cells are capable of exceeding 39.2% under non-concentrated AM1.5G illumination and 47.1% using concentrated AM1.5G illumination.[10]

[@Mr.Schitzengigglez]

I was pulling 438w, in the northern US, 2 days ago, with 4 100w panels, in series parallel configuration. I'd call that fairly efficient, considering that we haven't even hit the season of maximum peak irradiation.

[@Mr.Schitzengigglez]

I was pulling 438w, in the northern US, 2 days ago, with 4 100w panels, in series parallel configuration. I'd call that fairly efficient, considering that we haven't even hit the season of maximum peak irradiation.

[@JackKirbyFan]

If you want to be nerdish, when he stated particle like he was correct. Light is neither a particle nor a wave. It has properties of both meaning, depending on what test you use, light will either behave like a particle or a wave. If you want to suffer, study Quantum field theory -> I know the layman's ideas because the math is way above me. Dr. Richard Feynman (genius if you ask me) developed the theory which led to the standard model of Physics which is the go-to theory for Physics in the atomic world. Generally, everything is considered a field (electron, photon, etc) -> which means we define a tensor (complicated vector) to allow for a measurable value at every point in space. The excitation of the field at any point gives it 'particle' like properties. Otherwise it is considered to have 'wave like' properties which explains the confusing nature of the sub-atomic world. So, good job is my point sir! Anyone who is a true Physics person (I'm EE), please add to it because that's very general.

[@ericsnewlink3]

Awesome video. I worked for Tesla Solar for a while, terrible experience working with residential solar. And the horrors that a roof goes through to support a panel. Yikes.

[@michellet_thatsme]

Yeah, people do not quite understand how strong their homes roof and framing need to be in order to support the extra weight of these solar arrays, not to mention if you already live in an area where you would need to consider how snow might accumulate in the winter months. There are definitely pros and cons to installing a roof mounted system vs. having a ground mounted solar array.

[@ryanunslavd1656]

Terrible experience working with resi solar? Our PM also worked with Tesla Solar. Why terrible experience for you?

[@ryanunslavd1656]

@@michellet_thatsmethat’s a good point. One array could be one thousand pounds. Makes me wonder about trusses’ load bearing capacity like you said here and where the mounts and rail go as well as weak points in the trusses (eg maybe in the middle or at the peak?) Also makes one think about all that other weight if the roof is tile and not comp or Au. More solar videos from this channel, please

[@Jcewazhere]

45% efficiency is almost double what most cars get from each gallon of gasoline they guzzle. 20% is what most home panels I've seen get. 40% is from the panels they put on satellites, or wherever else you need every single watt you can get regardless of cost. Plants are actually only 45% efficient, well it depends on what method they use. Plants that use the C4 cycle are most efficient, C3 and CAM are less (iirc). So when you're making ethanol from corn you take that 40% of the sunlight energy, then you cut it at least in half again through tossing the useless parts of the plant, in half again from fermenting, cut another big chunk out for all the transporting, then cut it down to 30% at best for how inefficiently gas engines burn. End to end you're getting less than 5% of the sun's energy into your car through ethanol/biofuels. Compared to >30% for solar -> battery -> wheel. That solar energy is coming down whether we use it or not, better to put it to work. Nice video, thanks for making it. Cool new toy too :)

[@realeyesrealizereallies6828]

When you set the bottom of a beer can on your solar panel, and the shadow disappears completely, you know your angle is correct..That is actually the method I use, for my 30 Kilowatt system, 30 kw batteries, 4500 watts panels, 6500 watt inverter/solar charge controller/AC charger, (AC charger)I don't use...I have a water well, wood burner, Mini split with mppt, that runs from solar, Giant garden, chickens, etc., redundancy, and very self sufficient, and would urge others to do the same, for obvious reasons, and if it's not obvious to you, then forget all about this post...

[@aredditor4272]

My son went with 33 polycrystalline grid tied silicon solar panels. He got in when utilities were offering great deals, so he hasn't paid for electricity since. Some panels within an installation may purposefully be placed outside of the optimum direction, because they can be placed to maximize production of power towards the late afternoon. That was done on my son's roof, so some are facing south, and some are facing west.

[@chrisf9607]

They look like binoculars I thought you would look trough them LOL

[@commoncents]

Dope Naruto & Sasuke tats bro

[@jorgehuizarsr8519]

I’m going open my KZbin electrical classes to ti get free tools !

[@tommycorbet]

Hey Justin, Is it, heaven forbid, "droppable"? Tell Fluke how cool it would be if the batteries were rechargeable. How about a built-in solar charger, looks like there is enough real estate. 🤔

[@MrDontcareify]

Does that SMFT have a thermal camera on it for hotspot inspection? Still an awesome tester.

[@yellow8954]

Theory 📙

[@utoobrandomness7197]

Testing automation? Yea, thats cool... But a (1) meter, thats $5500? Like WHOAH!

[@codydouglass242]

got a fluke meter for the truck

[@martf1061]

4:00 Ok 60W.. But at what voltage? My guess is that its 12VDC. Solar panels are still way too big for the energy they provide. 60w for a 4'x3' panel is ridiculous

[@michellet_thatsme]

Imagine if everyone decided to have a wind turbine in their yard instead. Talk about an eye sore 😂

[@AnActualCoconut]

Like 8 years ago I was putting in like 260w 35V 9A panels fwiw 5x3.5 tho

[@danukepaintball]

Using a grid tie inverter to "give power" to the power company is kind of a waste of time. They'll only pay you 1/10th the rate so you have to dump a LOT of power to gain any ground at all.

[@tim4601]

Video ideas: Different types of residential systems: Micro inverters vs string inverters with optimizers. Comparing pros and cons Commercial systems: DC strings with central inverters. Systems coupled with battery storage….MA is starting to push this on the commercial side. Could do a video on controlling/ monitoring power of these systems: SEL relays, DAS enclosures for monitoring and communication in general on solar sites. If only the fluke meter could create the reports for IV curve tracing automatically and send it to the clients in an email format id buy it for the price they want.

[@curonelectricity]

I like your video 📷📷📷

[@Mr.Schitzengigglez]

That tester costs more than all of my panels, my complete 2 charge controller Victron setup, and both of my 200ah Lithium batteries. I'm in the wrong business.

[@Sembazuru]

But to be fair, the target customer for this meter set is for the installer contractors, not the end solar setup customer. If you are DIYing your solar setup, you'll probably only use this a small handful of times (at install, and any troubleshooting of issues down the road), and at that point look for renting it not purchasing it. A contractor will be using this at every job multiple times a year.

[@Mr.Schitzengigglez]

@@Sembazuru I get by with a decent clamp meter. But, some of those capabilities would certainly make life easier, for sure. I'm used to having a full electronics shop, with waveforms, etc. On the road, that machine offers an awful lot, in a very small package.

[@WilliamLittleton]

Half this is vid is explaining that solar panels need to be facing the sun. The other half is a review of a $5500 piece of kit for pros. Who is this for?

[@ryanunslavd1656]

Very good point

[@ryanunslavd1656]

It’s possible he doesn’t know Solar very well haha. Channel seems to be geared toward Resi electricians from the little I’ve seen

[@MrAlejandro787]

Now know why is so expensive kit it pay it self

[@MrDontcareify]

When graphene superconductors actually become commercially available, it’s possible that solar panel’s efficiency will also increase. We shall see, the future is pretty exciting for PV power.

[@aredditor4272]

Increase by how much?

[@VRCM_Skywarn_XUSA]

There's a ball of fire, in the sky. 🌿🌞🐿⚡ It provides, light & energy for you and I. - FYI It also creates & controls Testosterone. A hormone response, called Vitamin D.

[@jamesnewman5695]

Is there anything electrical you don't know?

[@TylerSmith-kt8rk]

FULL BRIDGE RECTIFIER!!!!!!!!!!