ERODE BUILDER EDUCATIONAL TRUTS, GROUP OF INSTITUTIONS-KANGAYAM -638108

SOLAR CELLS AND THEIR FUTURE APPLICATIONS

By, PRABHAKAR SRIDHARAN

ABSTRACT:
A solar panel (also solar module, photovoltaic module or photovoltaic panel) is a packaged, connected assembly of photovoltaic cells. The solar panel can be used as a component of a larger photovoltaic system to generate and supply electricity in commercial and residential applications. Because a single solar panel can produce only a limited amount of power, many installations contain several panels. A photovoltaic system typically includes an array of solar panels, an inverter, and sometimes a battery and interconnection wiring. Solar panels use light energy (photons) from the sun to generate electricity through the photovoltaic effect. The structural (load carrying) member of a module can either be the top layer or the back layer. The majority of modules use wafer-based crystalline silicon cells or thinfilm cells based on cadmium telluride or silicon. The conducting wires that take the current off the panels may contain silver, copper or other non-magnetic conductive transition metals. requirements for residential and commercial are different in that the residential needs are simple and can be packaged so that as solar cell technology progresses, the other base line equipment such as the battery, inverter and voltage sensing transfer switch still need to be compacted and unitized for residential use. Currently the best achieved sunlight conversion rate (solar panel efficiency) is around 21% in commercial products, typically lower than the efficiencies of their cells in isolation. The Depending on construction, photovoltaic panels can produce electricity from a range of frequencies of light, but usually cannot cover the entire solar range (specifically, ultraviolet, infrared and low or diffused light). Hence much of the incident sunlight energy is wasted by solar panels, and they can give far higher efficiencies if illuminated with monochromatic light. This has been projected to be capable of raising efficiency by 50%.

Solar panels must withstand heat, cold, rain and hail for many years. Many crystalline silicon module manufacturers offer a warranty that guarantees electrical production for 10 years at 90% of rated power output and 25 years at 80%. Space stations and various spacecraft employ, or have employed photovoltaic panels to generate power. These power systems, once installed, are connected to the electric utility company's power grid. When you use more power than the system is producing, the grid provides the difference. However, when your system is producing more power than you are are using, the excess electricity is directed to the grid for others to use - earning you credits toward your grid usage. Depending on the size of the system you choose and the renewable energy policies of your local electric utility, this arrangement results in a dynamic mix of three new possibilities: 1) A reduced monthly electric bill; 2) No electric bill; 3) A credit on your bill. If youre electric utility has a netmetering program, number 3 could take the form of an actual check, and payment for the excess electricity your system produces and sends to the grid!

The Origins of Solar Cells

Although practical solar cells have only been available since the mid 1950s, scientific investigation of the photovoltaic effect started in 1839, when the French scientist, Henri Becquerel discovered that an electric current could be produced by shining a light onto certain chemical solutions. The effect was first observed in a solid material (in this case the metal selenium) in 1877. This material was used for many years for light meters, which only required very small amounts of power. A deeper understanding of the scientific principles, provided by Einstein in 1905 and Schottky in 1930, was required before efficient solar cells could be made. A silicon solar cell which converted 6% of sunlight falling onto it into electricity was developed by Chapin, Pearson and Fuller in 1954, and this kind of cell was used in specialized applications such as orbiting space satellites from 1958. Today's commercially available silicon solar cells have efficiencies of about 18% of the sunlight falling on to them into electricity, at a fraction of the price of thirty years ago. There is now a variety of methods for the practical production of silicon solar cells

(amorphous, single crystal, polycrystalline), as well as solar cells made from other materials (copper indium dieseline, cadmium telluride, etc).

The need for renewable and sustainable power, as a means of reducing global warming.

How are Solar Cells made? The Need for Solar Cells
The development of solar cell use in Australia has been stimulated by:

Silicon solar cells are made using single crystal wafers, polycrystalline wafers or thin films.

the need for low maintenance, long lasting sources of electricity suitable for places remote from both the main electricity grid and from people; e.g. satellites, remote site water pumping, outback telecommunications stations and lighthouses;

Single crystal wafers are sliced, (approx. 1/3 to 1/2 of a millimeter thick), from a large single crystal ingot which has been grown at around 1400 C, which is a very expensive process. The silicon must be of a very high purity and have a near perfect crystal structure

The need for cost effective power supplies for people remote from the main electricity grid; e.g. Aboriginal settlements, outback sheep and cattle stations, and some home sites in grid connected areas.

the need for non polluting and silent sources of electricity; e.g. tourist sites, caravans and campers

the need for a convenient and

flexible source of small amounts of power; e.g. calculators, watches, light meters and cameras;

How do Solar Cells Work?

To understand the operation of a PV cell, we need to consider both the nature of the material and the nature of sunlight. Solar cells consist of two types of material, often p-type silicon and n-type silicon. Light of certain wavelengths is able to ionize the atoms in the silicon and the internal field produced by the junction separates some of the positive charges ("holes") from the negative charges (electrons) within the photovoltaic device. The holes are swept into the positive or p-layer and the electrons are swept into the negative or n-layer. Although these opposite charges are attracted to each other, most of them can only recombine by passing through an external circuit outside the material because of the internal potential energy barrier. Therefore if a circuit is made (see figure 3) power can be produced from the cells under illumination, since the free electrons have to pass through the load to recombine with the positive holes.

Applications:

Solar lamp

Solar notebook: IUNIKA makes the first Solar Powered Net book, the Gyy.

Electric devices that includes solar panels:

Solar cell phone : Sharp announced that its first solar-powered cell phone would be released in summer, 2009.

Solar-pumped laser

Solar vehicle Solar plane