The Solar Of Solar Cell

     In 1954 Bell Laboratories invented the first photovoltaic (or solar) cell, made from the semi-conductor silicon, and other elements. It was the first way to convert sunlight directly into electricity. When the space program was launched in the 60's, it

The greatest energy that can be produced by the sun is electricity. Photovoltaics, or solar cells, capture the sun and convert it into electricity. Solar cells were discovered by the Europeans back in the 1870’s when they used selenium to develop the telegraph. They found that when light hits selenium it would produce and electrical current. Soon enough there were many scientists and engineers working on photovoltaic systems. Silicon and Selenium proved to be the two best elements to conduct electricity when light hits them. Photovoltaic systems (PV cell) work by converting the suns light into electricity. A semi conducting material absorbs the sunlight, that energy knocks electrons loose from their atoms, this allows the electrons to flow through the material to produce electricity. The further development of solar cells can be attributed to the satellite industry. Solar cells were expensive and there was no use for them until satellites came. Because it is impractical to tether satellites it became important to develop solar energy at any cost that would power these satellites. This created a sustainable market for solar power, the first of its kind.

Simply stated, the definition of "solar energy" is energy that is created by the sun. In the context of modern usage, "solar energy" may refer to technology that converts radiation from the sun into usable energy sources, such as electricity. In essence, solar panels gather energy from the sun 's rays and send the energy out through a process that results in electricity, that can be used to power homes, machinery and much more. Solar energy is a sought-after source of alternative energy because the sun offers a clean, renewable and cost-effective resource as long as it continues to burn and power life on Earth.

Solar panel absorbs sunrays as a source of energy to produce electricity. They usually comprise of smaller units known as photovoltaic cells (PV). They are the means of conversion. Electrical energy is converted into mechanical energy by means of a machine called electric motor.

There have been solar panels for a long time, but who invented them? In 1839, Alexandre Edmond Becquerel discovered the “photovoltaic effect” which explains how electricity can be generated from sunlight. Photovoltaic means when sunlight is converted it turns into a flow of electrons (electricity). He claimed that “shining light on an electrode immersed in a conductive solution would create an electric current.” Over 100 years later, in 1941, Russell Ohl invented the solar cell, shortly after the invention of the transistor. Light (photons) striking certain compounds, such as metals, causes the surface of the material to emit electrons. A light that strikes other compounds causes the material to accept electrons. It is the combination of these

William Grylls Adams, with his student, Richard Evans Day, discovered in 1876 that a solid material (selenium) produced electricity when exposed to light. Selenium photovoltaic cells were converting light to electricity at 1 percent efficiency Meaning that the panel doesn’t produce enough energy for its surface area. “Photovoltaic, is the word that describes converting sunlight into electricity: photo, means pertaining to light, and voltaic meaning producing voltage. It took, more than 100 years, however, for the concept of electricity from sunlight to become more than just an experiment”; but today made a lot of energy for many homes olar panel history. In 1839, Alexandre Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect which explains how electricity can be generated from sunlight. He claimed that shining light on an electrode submerged in a conductive solution would create an electric current.

“22.1 percent of the energy in sunlight into electricity”. According to Kevin Bullis from Technology Review “First Solar Cell Break Efficiency Record”. As we know solar energy is a renewable energy source but how does it work? (PV) cells turns sunlight into electricity. Then is converted into an altering current electricity. An electrical power then sends power to our lights and applications.

Actually, the photovoltaic effect (creating electricity from sunlight) was first discovered in 1839. The first solar panel was made in 1882. Solar energy is not exactly new on the scene.

Solar cells directly convert photons from the sun into electricity (Wikipedia). Solar cells that convert both solar and non-solar light are called photovoltaic cells (Wikipedia 2006). They are made of semi conducting materials, most often silicon (Aldous 2006). The simplest photovoltaic cells power watches and calculators while larger, more complex systems can add

Solar cells operate by the photoelectric effect, in which incoming sunlight excites electrons within a semiconducting material like silicon to higher energy level, leading to the movement of free electrons, which eventually pass into an external circuit to maintain a flow of electricity (www.larouchepac.com).

A solar cell is defined as energy of light being converted into electricity – they are most commonly known for being the driving force behind solar panels. Solar panel phone screens are a recent addition to possible technologies that promote prolonging battery life and conserving energy in mobile phones.

current electricity. This source can be a possible solution to solve the energy crisis as well as the

The photoelectric effect was first noted by a French physicist, Edmund Bequerel, in 1839. While conducting experiments with metal electrodes placed in liquids, Becquerel found that exposure to sunlight amplified the flow of electrons. In 1876, British scientist William Grylls Adams discovered that sunlight produced an electrical current within the mineral selenium. Seven years later, US inventor Charles Fritts made the first solar cell. It was a coin sized wafer of selenium coated with a transparent gold film. Fritts’s solar cell converted approximately 1 percent of the sunlight hitting it into electricity. It took 70 years for researchers to develop solar cells people could use for practical purposes. In 1954 Daryl Chapin and Calvin Fuller refined Gerald Pearson’s first silicon cell. They created the first photovoltaic cell that produced enough electricity to power ordinary electrical devices. In the 1960s, the space industry began to

Einstein composed several papers with a new theory of the structure of light. He argued that light can act just like particles of energy, in some ways like the particles of a gas. His

Interest in solar energy has been growing in recent years. Solar energy is abundant, clean and renewable. There are two main methods to tap solar energy, i.e. with PV cells and with solar collectors. The former converts sun light directly to electricity while the latter collects the solar thermal energy (heat) to be used for various applications. Solar collectors have been in existent for many decades. Their usages are experiencing resurgence in the recent years due to the interest in renewable energy sources. Strongly increased number of solar heating plants have been built and are under construction throughout the world. The solar collectors used in the solar heating plants are flat plate solar collectors and often the volume flow rate through the collector field is varying. The integration of solar thermal systems into buildings to meet energy requirements of buildings (for domestic hot water, space heating, air-conditioning and lighting) is supported by many researchers in different parts of world. Many types of solar collectors are commercially available; they differ in design and performance and, of course, in price. They have to meet different demands in operation, configuration and meteorological conditions.