15/07/2025
🌞 How Do Solar Panels Work?
Thinking about adding solar to your new or existing home? Here's how the process works, made simple:
1️⃣ Sunlight Hits the Panels
Solar panels on your roof are made up of photovoltaic (PV) cells.
When sunlight hits these cells, they create direct current (DC) electricity.
2️⃣ Inverter Converts the Power
Homes use alternating current (AC), not DC.
So, the system includes an inverter that changes the electricity from DC to AC, so you can use it to power lights, appliances, heating, etc.
3️⃣ Power Your Home
The electricity flows into your home's fuse box and powers whatever is turned on.
If you're generating more than you’re using, the extra electricity goes somewhere else (see below).
4️⃣ What Happens to Extra Power?
With a battery: Extra power gets stored in your home battery for use at night or on cloudy days.
Without a battery: It goes back into the electricity grid, and you may get paid for it (depending on your energy provider).
5️⃣ Still Connected to the Grid
Your home stays connected to the grid.
If you need more power than the panels are producing (e.g. on a dark winter night), you automatically draw from the grid.
At HBK Architects, we design homes that are energy-smart, Passive House ready, and built to perform for decades.
📩 Thinking about a sustainable new build or retrofit? Let’s talk.
