NEW BERLIN – After months of planning, a representative from New York Sun, a state solar energy program, came to New Berlin and discussed the benefits of solar energy.

The solar energy seminar was held at 6 p.m.,Thursday, at the Unadilla Valley High School Auditorium, and 12 individuals from the New Berlin community attended.

The main speaker, New York Sun Senior Project Manager Frank Mace, told audience members about how solar panels work, and encouraged them to purchase panels of their own.

“There are two kinds of energy in the sun, there’s thermal energy from the sun’s heat, and there’s light energy in the sun’s light,” explained New York Sun Senior Project Manager Frank Mace.

According to Mace, solar panels work solely off of the sun’s light by using a special crystal and foil that captures the light’s electrons.

“When the light impacts a crystal in the panel, it pushes electrons out of the way, jarring them loose.”

“On the backside of the crystal there are pieces of foil that collect those electrons, creating electricity,” said Mace.