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    Why Use Solar Cells?

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    Echo Ardyone
    Solar cells provide a low-maintenance, renewable source of electricity that does not pollute. They work by converting sunlight into electricity through the photovoltaic effect in semiconductor materials like silicon. When light hits the solar cell, it knocks electrons loose allowing them to flow and generate a current, with metal contacts drawing off this current for external use as power. Different materials and cell configurations result in varying efficiencies, with single crystalline silicon cells the most efficient currently. Arrays of solar cells can be linked to form larger power systems.

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    Why Use Solar Cells?

    Uploaded by

    Echo Ardyone
    49 views11 pages
    Solar cells provide a low-maintenance, renewable source of electricity that does not pollute. They work by converting sunlight into electricity through the photovoltaic effect in semiconductor materials like silicon. When light hits the solar cell, it knocks electrons loose allowing them to flow and generate a current, with metal contacts drawing off this current for external use as power. Different materials and cell configurations result in varying efficiencies, with single crystalline silicon cells the most efficient currently. Arrays of solar cells can be linked to form larger power systems.

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    Pengetahuan tentang Solar Cell yang bisa diaplikasikan untuk masa depan.

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    Solar Cells

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    Solar cells provide a low-maintenance, renewable source of electricity that does not pollute. They work by converting sunlight into electricity through the photovoltaic effect in semiconductor materials like silicon. When light hits the solar cell, it knocks electrons loose allowing them to flow and generate a current, with metal contacts drawing off this current for external use as power. Different materials and cell configurations result in varying efficiencies, with single crystalline silicon cells the most efficient currently. Arrays of solar cells can be linked to form larger power systems.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    49 views11 pages

    Why Use Solar Cells?

    Uploaded by

    Echo Ardyone
    Solar cells provide a low-maintenance, renewable source of electricity that does not pollute. They work by converting sunlight into electricity through the photovoltaic effect in semiconductor materials like silicon. When light hits the solar cell, it knocks electrons loose allowing them to flow and generate a current, with metal contacts drawing off this current for external use as power. Different materials and cell configurations result in varying efficiencies, with single crystalline silicon cells the most efficient currently. Arrays of solar cells can be linked to form larger power systems.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    of 11

    Why Use Solar Cells?

    Low maintenance, long lasting sources of energy Provides cost-effective power supplies for people remote from the main electricity grid Non-polluting and silent sources of electricity Convenient and flexible source of small amounts of power Renewable and sustainable power, as a means to reduce global warming In 2002, the global market for photovoltaic panels and equipment was valued at 3.5 billion dollars

    The Solar Cell


    The most common type of solar cells are Photovoltaic Cells (PV cells) Converts sunlight directly into electricity Cells are made of a semiconductor material (eg. silicon) Light strikes the PV cell, and a certain portion is absorbed The light energy (in the form of photons) knocks electrons loose, allowing them to flow freely, forming a current Metal contacts on the top and bottom of PV cell draws off the current to use externally as power

    The Single Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell


    Pure silicon is a poor conductor of electricity Doping of silicon with phosphorus and boron is necessary to create n-type and p-type regions This allows presence of free electrons and electron-free holes The p-n junction generates an electric field that acts as a diode, pushing electrons to flow from the P side to the N side

    The Solar Cell

    When Light Hits the Cell


    Light energy (photons) ionizes 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) The holes are swept into the p-layer and the electrons are swept into the n-layer The charges can only recombine by passing through an external circuit outside the material Power is produced since the free electrons have to pass through the load to recombine with the positive holes

    Efficiency of Solar Cells


    The amount of power available from a PV device is determined by
    Type and area of the material The intensity of the sunlight The wavelength of the sunlight

    Single crystalline solar cells 25% efficency Polycrystalline silicon solar cells less than 20% Amorphous silicon solar cells less than 10% Cells are connected in series to form a panel to provide larger voltages and an increased current

    Arrays and Systems


    Panels of solar cells can be linked together to form a larger system an array
    (a) a PV panel array, ranging from two to many hundreds of panels; (b) a control panel, to regulate the power from the panels; (c) a power storage system, generally comprising of a number of specially designed batteries; (d) an inverter, for converting the DC to AC power (eg 240 V AC) (e) backup power supplies such as diesel startup generators (optional) (f) framework and housing for the system (g) trackers and sensors (optional);

    Solar Cells are used in a wide variety of applications


    Toys, watches, calculators Electric fences Remote lighting systems Water pumping

    Water treatment
    Emergency power Portable power supplies Satellites

    Future Applications
    The Flexible Solar Cell

    Looks like denim Can be draped over any shape No rigid, silicon base Made of thousands of flexible, inexpensive solar beads between two layers of aluminum foil Each bead functions as a tiny solar cell

    Future Applications
    Organic Solar Cells Based on photosynthesis in plants Use of light-sensitive dyes Cost of manufacture is decreased by 60% New Alloys Indium, gallium, and Nitrogen Converts full spectrum of sunlight from near-infrared to far-ultraviolet

    Future Applications
    Nano Solar Cells Tiny rods are embedded in a semi-conducting plastic layer sandwiched between two electrodes Rods act like wires, absorbing light to create an electric current

    Tetrapod Nanocrystals
    May double the efficiency of plastic solar cells

    Made of cadmium, tellurium

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