Solar cells rely on the "photovoltaic" effect which converts light into electricity.
WHAT ARE SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS MADE FROM?
The current generation of photovoltaic solar cells are made from layers of silicon which have been doped with small quantities of different chemicals.
The doping materials are chosen to give the resulting material a very specific property: they allow light to 'knock' electrons free from their orbits in sufficient numbers to generate a direct current (DC).
All current cells rely on doped silicone, but they are manufactured in a variety of ways called monocrystalline, polycrystalline or hybrid (thin film over monocrystalline). The first two varieties offer the best value for money, but hybrid offers the greatest energy generating density.
All solar photovoltaic cells rely on light, not on heat. Photovoltaic cells therefore work in the winter and on overcast days, limited primarily by the hours of daylight and the angle of the sun in the sky.
HOW ARE SOLAR PV CELLS COMBINED INTO A PANEL?
After the photovoltaic cells have been manufactured they are placed in an electrical series on a panel, creating a photovoltaic panel. The panels are usually made from aluminium with a reflective back coating and a toughened low-iron glass treated with an anti-reflective front coating in order to maximise absorption.