Question: how do solar panels power your house?

Tadhg O'Donovan answered on 16 Jun 2015:

Hi Jezzi, there are two main types of solar panels. The first convert the sunlight to electricity; these are call photovoltaic solar panels (typically 20% efficient), or PV for short. Another are called solar thermal panels (typically over 90% efficient) and they heat water directly instead of burning gas.