Het zonnepaneel wekt stroom op.

Zonnepaneel is a het-word in Dutch, so its singular definite article is het.

• het zonnepaneel = the solar panel
• plural: de zonnepanelen = the solar panels

Unfortunately, whether a noun takes de or het often just has to be learned, though some word endings give clues. In this case, you simply learn het zonnepaneel as a whole.

It is a compound noun:

• zon = sun
• zonne- = sun / solar (a linking form used in compounds)
• paneel = panel

So zonnepaneel literally means solar panel.

Dutch uses compound nouns very often, so it is normal to see several ideas packed into one word.

Because opwekken is a separable verb in Dutch.

Its full infinitive is:

• opwekken = to generate / produce

In a main clause, the verb often splits:

• Het zonnepaneel wekt stroom op.

Here:

• wekt = the conjugated part
• op = the separable prefix, moved to the end

This is very common in Dutch. Compare:

• Ik wek stroom op.
• Het apparaat wekt energie op.

But in some other structures, it stays together:

• Het zonnepaneel kan stroom opwekken.
• Het heeft stroom opgewekt.

That happens because of the separable verb opwekken.

In a normal Dutch main clause:

• the finite verb goes in the second position
• the separable prefix goes to the end

So:

• opwekken → wekt ... op

That is why the sentence is:

• Het zonnepaneel wekt stroom op.

and not:

• Het zonnepaneel opwekt stroom.

Here stroom means electricity or electrical power/current, depending on context.

In everyday Dutch, stroom is often used where English might say:

• electricity
• power
• sometimes current

So in this sentence, stroom opwekken means to generate electricity.

Be aware that stroom can also mean flow or current in other contexts, such as water flow.

Because stroom is being used as an uncountable noun, like electricity in English.

So Dutch says:

• stroom = electricity

not necessarily:

• de stroom = the electricity / the current

In this sentence, the meaning is general: the solar panel generates electricity. That is why bare stroom is natural.

Because the subject het zonnepaneel is grammatically third person singular, and the verb wekken changes accordingly.

Present tense of wekken:

• ik wek
• jij wekt
• hij/zij/het wekt
• wij wekken
• jullie wekken
• zij wekken

Since het zonnepaneel = it / the solar panel, Dutch uses:

• wekt

Yes. Wekken on its own commonly means to wake or to awaken someone.

Examples:

• Ik wek hem om zeven uur. = I wake him at seven.

But with the separable prefix op-, opwekken has a different meaning:

• stroom opwekken = to generate electricity
• energie opwekken = to generate energy

So the prefix changes the meaning significantly.

Yes, that is possible. Genereren also means to generate.

However, stroom opwekken is a very normal, idiomatic Dutch way to express this idea, especially in technical or everyday contexts about energy.

So:

• Het zonnepaneel wekt stroom op. = very natural
• Het zonnepaneel genereert stroom. = also understandable and possible, but a bit less everyday in tone

The structure is:

• Het zonnepaneel = subject
• wekt = finite verb
• stroom = object
• op = separable prefix

So the pattern is:

Subject + finite verb + object + separable prefix

This is a very common Dutch pattern with separable verbs in main clauses.

Then the verb usually stays together as opwekken.

Examples:

• Het zonnepaneel kan stroom opwekken.
• Ik weet dat het zonnepaneel stroom opwekt.

Notice the difference:

• main clause: wekt ... op
• infinitive: opwekken
• subordinate clause with a finite verb: opwekt as one word at the end

This is one of the key patterns learners need to master with Dutch separable verbs.