CO4 Material 1

Solar Energy
• Sunlight may be directly converted into electricity through photovoltaic cell.

• We can use solar energy in two ways:
Use of solar heat (concentrated solar power): solar cooker, solar dryer, solar
water heater for home, solar distillation.
Use of solar electricity: solar cells
• The latter is a device for conversion of light energy into electrical energy.
Concentrated solar power

• Generate solar power by using mirrors or lenses to concentrate a large area of
sunlight onto a receiver.
• Electricity is generated when the concentrated light is converted to heat (solar
thermal energy), which drives a heat engine (usually a steam turbine) connected
to an electrical power generator.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTNU1JMhzxA
Solar cells
The solar cells produce electricity by converting the photons of light
into the electrons, the solar cells are used to power anything from the
small electronics such as the calculators and the road signs up to the
homes, the satellites, the military applications, and the large
commercial businesses. Solar energy produces power for households
and businesses through solar panels, which contain solar cells that
harness energy from the sun. To produce power, solar cells require
daylight, but even if it's cloudy, you can still use the solar panel system.
Solar cells are described as being photovoltaic, irrespective of whether the source is
sunlight or an artificial light. In addition to producing energy, they can be used as a
photodetector (for example infrared detectors), detecting light or other electromagnetic
radiation near the visible range, or measuring light intensity.
Differences between solar cells and OLEDs

LED is Light Emitting Diode. It is a Diode, which emits or generate Light when we apply
a potential difference across it. A light-emitting diode is a two-lead semiconductor light
source. It is a p–n junction diode that emits light when activated. When a suitable voltage
is applied to the leads, electrons are able to recombine with electron holes within the
device, releasing energy in the form of photons.
On the other hand, solar cell generated Electricity, when light falls on it. It generates
electricity by using sunlight. When light reaches the p-n junction, the light photons can
easily enter in the junction, through the very thin p-type layer. The light energy, in the form
of photons, supplies sufficient energy to the junction to create a number of electron-hole
pairs. This creates a potential difference across the junction, generating current across
them.
The importance of solar cells
Renewable energy: The energy can be used both to generate electricity and heat in the
house, either through solar PV or solar thermal. Renewable energy is recovered from the
sun, the wind, and waves - which in this case is the sun. Solar cells harness the energy
from the sun and transform this into usable electricity.
Economy-friendly energy: Solar cells provide a great opportunity to create savings on
your electric bill since you do not pay for the energy that you generate. At the same time,
you could monetize your photovoltaic system, if you have a solar system with a grid
connected installation, you can buy and sell electricity to the collective electricity network.
At the same time, you can obtain several solar panel grants and there will be more
economic benefits to be gained in the future.
Environmentally friendly energy: With solar cells occurs almost no pollution. The
discharge of waste and pollution is unavoidable in relation to the production of solar cells,
the transport of these and when you install them. However, this is a minimal fraction,
compared to if one draws its energy from elsewhere.
Innovative energy: Photovoltaics is a popular topic in green energy and is considered to
be a good solution to prevent climate change. Therefore, this is an innovative market
under continuous research and development.
Infinite Energy: When you have the opportunity to extract energy from the sun's rays, this
is a source of energy that will never be exhausted, therefore there will always be a source
for electricity production.
Long term energy: PV systems often have a long life and a good durability. At the same
time, there is often a guarantee of minimum 20 years on your solar panels, guaranteeing
you, should there be any complications.
Selling energy: If your home has solar cells, it is often easier to sell the property at a
higher price.
Theory of solar cells
The theory of solar cells explains the process by which light energy in photons is
converted into electric current when the photons strike a suitable semiconductor device.
The theoretical studies are of practical use because they predict the fundamental limits
of a solar cell and give guidance on the phenomena that contribute to losses and solar
cell efficiency.
The most commonly known solar cell is configured as a large-area p–n junction made
from silicon. Other possible solar cell types are organic solar cells, dye sensitized solar
cells, perovskite solar cells, quantum dot solar cells etc. The illuminated side of a solar
cell generally has a transparent conducting film for allowing light to enter into active
material and to collect the generated charge carriers. Typically, films with high
transmittance and high electrical conductance such as indium tin oxide, conducting
polymers or conducting nanowire networks are used for the purpose.
The operation of a photovoltaic (PV) cell requires three basic attributes:
The absorption of light, generating either electron-hole pairs or excitons.
The separation of charge carriers of opposite types.
The separate extraction of those carriers to an external circuit.
Assemblies of solar cells are used to make solar modules that generate electrical power
from sunlight, as distinguished from a "solar thermal module" or "solar hot water panel".
A solar array generates solar power using solar energy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0OZ6tpZ3Mc
The solar cell works in several steps:

• Photons in sunlight hit the solar panel and are absorbed by semiconducting
materials, such as doped silicon.
• Electrons are excited from their current molecular/atomic orbital. Once excited an
electron can either dissipate the energy as heat and return to its orbital or travel
through the cell until it reaches an electrode. Current flows through the material to
cancel the potential and this electricity is captured. The chemical bonds of the
material are vital for this process to work, and usually silicon is used in two layers,
one layer being doped with boron, the other phosphorus. These layers have
different chemical electric charges and subsequently both drive and direct the
current of electrons.
• An array of solar cells converts solar energy into a usable amount of direct current
(DC) electricity.
• An inverter can convert the power to alternating current (AC).
To understand the electronic behavior of a solar cell, it is useful to create a model which
is electrically equivalent and is based on discrete ideal electrical components whose
behavior is well defined. An ideal solar cell may be modelled by a current source in parallel
with a diode; in practice no solar cell is ideal, so a shunt resistance and a series resistance
component are added to the model.
How solar cells work
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0OZ6tpZ3Mc&t=6s
Characteristic equation describing device
efficiency
From the equivalent circuit it is evident that the current
produced by the solar cell is equal to that produced by
the current source, minus that which flows through the
diode, minus that which flows through the shunt
resistor:
I = IL – ID – ISH.
Where, I = output current (ampere), IL = photogenerated current (ampere), ID = diode
current (ampere), ISH = shunt current (ampere).
The current through these elements is governed by the voltage across them:
Vj = V + IRs
Where, Vj = voltage across both diode and resistor RSH (volt), V = voltage across the
output terminals (volt), I = output current (ampere), RS = series resistance (Ω).
When the cell is operated at open circuit, I = 0 and the voltage across the output terminals
is defined as the open-circuit voltage.
Solar cell efficiency may be broken down into reflectance efficiency, thermodynamic
efficiency, charge carrier separation efficiency and conductive efficiency. The overall
efficiency is the product of these individual metrics.
The power conversion efficiency of a solar cell is a parameter which is defined by the
fraction of incident power converted into electricity.
The fill factor is the ratio of the actual maximum obtainable power to the product of the
open circuit voltage and short circuit current. This is a key parameter in evaluating
performance.

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Solar Energy

• Sunlight may be directly converted into electricity through photovoltaic cell.

Concentrated solar power

Differences between solar cells and OLEDs

The solar cell works in several steps:

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