Can I use solar energy to power my home? More and more Canadians are asking themselves this question as people look for affordable, clean and reliable sources of electricity.

PV
The photovoltaic effect
French scientist Edmund Becquerel first reported the photovoltaic effect in 1839, when he observed a voltage between two electrodes in a beaker of electrolyte after the beaker was exposed to sunlight.
Solar electric or photovoltaic (PV) cells convert sunlight directly into electricity. PV cells are made of semi-conducting materials, similar to those used in computer chips. When exposed to sunlight, these materials absorb light energy and are “excited,” causing electrons to flow through the material and produce electricity. This process of converting light (photons) to electricity (voltage) is called the photovoltaic effect.