Electricity....... Straight from the sun

Solar PV (Photovoltaic Panels), is a technology in which daylight is converted into electrical power. It uses energy from the sun to create electricity that will operate electrical appliances in your home

Photovoltaics is the direct conversion of light into electricity at the atomic level. Some materials exhibit a property known as the photoelectric effect that causes them to absorb photons of light and release electrons.
The Solar Cell is the basic building block of Solar PV technology. The PV cell consists of one or two layers of a semi conducting material, usually silicon.
These cells are wired together to form a module (PV Solar Panel). PV Modules are joined together to form a PV Solar Panel system.

When light shines on the panels it creates an electric field across the layers causing electricity to flow. The greater the intensity of the light, the greater the flow of electricity. The electricity is produced as a direct (DC) current. An inverter will then convert this DC power into alternating current (AC power, which is the type of electricity used in your home).
When in use, Solar PV panels do not generate greenhouse gases or cause pollution. Each kilowatt-peak (kWp) of electricity produced can save approximately 455 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions compared with electricity generated from fossil fuels.

Solar PV panels can be attached to pitched roofs or flat roofs, fixed vertically onto external walls or located on the ground. They can also be integrated into patent glazing or rain screen cladding systems. They should work efficiently in most locations as long as no part of the panel is shaded from the sun

PV systems are quoted in kWp (kilo Watts peak), which is the rating of DC power produced by the system at any one time during optimum lighting and temperature conditions. A well installed PV system should produce between 750kWh and 850kWh of AC electricity annually for every 1kWp of PV installed.
The average cost for electricity is currently about 13p/kWh and this has increased by roughly 7% each year for over a decade. It is estimated that a medium use household will use approximately 3300kWh/year of electricity. A typical 1.8kWp domestic Solar PV System can provide over 45% of this demand. Not only are you saving money by not having to use as much energy from the grid, but most utility companies now pay you for generating your own green energy. They do this because they have renewable energy targets to achieve.

Photovoltaic PV systems can be designed to sell any surplus energy back to electricity grid rather than store the energy. This overcomes many of the shortcomings of using batteries; including high cost, storage, limited useful lifespan and environmentally unfriendly components. 

Under the new “Feed in Tariffs” from April 2010 the Government will GUARANTEE to pay you a premium amount for the electricity you generate – whether you use it or not!