0 Hoʻohana ʻia kahi panela lā ma ke ʻano he mea hoʻololi i ka lā i uila ma o nā pūnaewele photovoltaic (PV), i kūkulu ʻia mai nā mea hana e hoʻoulu ai i nā electrons ikaika ma ka ʻike ʻana i ka mālamalama. Hele kēia mau electrons ma kahi kaapuni, e hana ana i ka uila pololei (DC), hiki ke hoʻohana ʻia i nā mana mana a i mālama ʻia i loko o nā pā. Hoʻohana ʻia kēia kaʻina hana i nā panela solar, i kapa ʻia hoʻi he panel cell solar, solar panels, a i ʻole PV modules.
Hoʻokumu ʻia kēia mau panela i nā arrays a i ʻole nā pūnaewele, kahi ʻōnaehana photovoltaic i loaʻa i hoʻokahi a ʻoi aʻe paha nā panela lā, me kahi mea hoʻohuli e hoʻohuli i ka uila DC i ke au hou (AC). ʻO nā ʻāpana ʻē aʻe e like me nā mea hoʻokele, nā mika, a me nā trackers hiki ke lilo i ʻāpana o kēia hoʻonohonoho. Hoʻohana ʻia ia mau ʻōnaehana i nā kumu like ʻole, ka hāʻawi ʻana i ka uila no nā noi waho-grid ma nā wahi mamao a i ʻole ka hānai ʻana i ka uila nui i loko o ka pahu, e ʻae ana i nā hōʻaiʻē a i ʻole nā uku mai nā hui pono—kahi hoʻonohonoho i kapa ʻia he ʻōnaehana photovoltaic pili pūnaewele.
ʻO nā pōmaikaʻi o nā panela lā, ʻo ia ka hoʻohana ʻana i nā kumu ikehu hou a maʻemaʻe, e hōʻemi ana i ka hoʻokuʻu ʻia ʻana o ke kinoea ʻōmaʻomaʻo, a me ka pale ʻana i nā bila uila. Eia nō naʻe, ʻo nā drawbacks e pili ana i ka hilinaʻi ʻana i ka loaʻa ʻana o ka lā, pono ka hoʻomaʻemaʻe manawa, a me nā kumu kūʻai mua. Hoʻohana nui ʻia ma waena o nā hale noho, ʻoihana, a me nā ʻoihana ʻoihana, ua hoʻohui pū ʻia nā panela solar i ka lewa a me nā noi kaʻa.