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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!
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