How Solar Panels Turn Sunlight Into Power — Even on Cloudy Days

太阳能电池板如何将阳光转化为电能——即使在阴天也能工作

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Solar panels contain photovoltaic cells made mainly of silicon, a semiconductor material.

太阳能电池板含有主要由半导体材料硅制成的光伏电池。
When sunlight hits these cells, photons knock electrons loose from silicon atoms.

阳光照射这些电池时，光子会将硅原子中的电子撞离。
An internal electric field then pushes those free electrons in one direction, creating current.

内部电场随即推动这些自由电子朝同一方向移动，形成电流。
This direct current (DC) flows through wires to an inverter, which converts it to AC power.

这种直流电（DC）经导线输送到逆变器，转换为交流电（AC）。
Even diffuse light on cloudy days contains enough photons to generate useful electricity.

即使阴天的散射光也含有足够光子，可产生实用电能。
Modern panels capture about 22% of incoming sunlight, up from just 6% in the 1950s.

现代电池板可捕获约22%的入射阳光，而1950年代仅为6%。
Temperature matters too: very hot days slightly reduce efficiency, despite more sun.

温度也有影响：酷热天气虽阳光更强，却会略微降低效率。
Mounting angle and roof orientation also affect output, so installers use digital tools to optimize placement.

安装倾角和屋顶朝向也会影响发电量，因此安装人员会用数字工具优化布局。
Batteries can store extra power for nighttime use, making solar more reliable than many assume.

电池可储存多余电力供夜间使用，使太阳能比许多人想象的更可靠。
Over their 25-year lifespan, most panels produce far more energy than was used to make them.

在25年使用寿命内，大多数电池板所发电量远超其制造耗能。