Solar Powered

Solar electric cells work by converting the sun’s energy to electricity. How a cell does this is using a process called the photovoltaic effect. This process takes advantage of certain materials called semi-conductors ability to convert light energy to electric energy when they are exposed to light. A semi-conductor is a material, either solid or liquid, which has the ability to conduct electricity at room temperature easier than an insulator but less readily than a metal. Currently the best materials for solar photovoltaic cells are crystalline silicone or gallium arsenide.

To learn how a solar cell works think about the basic building block of all elements - the atom. The atom is composed basically of three parts - the proton, the neutron, and the electron. To picture an atom in your mind, think about a miniature solar system. The sun would be the proton/neutron. The electron is like a planet circling the proton/neutron nucleus.

The basic operation of the solar photovoltaic cell depends upon the ability of light, when it falls on a solar cell, to excite the electrons in the atom of the semiconductor and cause it to break away. This breaking away of electrons is encouraged by the way the solar energy cell is constructed to form an electrical current which can power an electrical device.

There have been advances in solar cell technology in recent years. Photovoltaic materials have become much more adaptable than in the past. Materials have been developed which can be sprayed on like paint and which will generate power on cloudy days by using the suns infra-red rays. Other materials have allowed engineers to construct flexible solar electric power cells which can be installed in previously impossible situations. These can be rolled up, transported to remote locations and unrolled for use.Photovoltaic The future of solar photovoltaic electric power is bright and soon everyone may be generating energy from the sun!