How The Heck Do Solar Panels Work? (opens in new tab)

Per Thirty Six: “How a giant nuclear reactor in the sky and some silicon makes electricity, and why that’s the easy part. How The Heck?, a series of interactive explanations of everyday technology designed primarily for curious, non-technical readers. Every hour, the Earth receives enough sunlight to power all of human civilization for a year. It arrives silently, from all directions, at no cost. We’ve known for decades how to convert this energy into usable electricity at scale using one of ...