Solar cells are made of the same kinds of semiconductor. Youve probably seen calculators with solar cells devices that never need batteries and in some cases, dont even have an off button. The working principle of solar cells is based on the photovoltaic effect. The ptype silicon is produced by adding atomssuch as boron or galliumthat have one less electron in their outer energy level than does silicon. Solar cell or photovoltaic pv cells are a sandwich of at least two layers of different semiconducting materials made of silicon. Many different solar cell technologies are being developed, for various applications rooftops, solar power plants, satellites, backpacks or clothing, etc. Learn about the structure of silicon and why silicons impurities are actually useful. Solar cells are made of the same kinds of semiconductor materials, such as silicon, used in the microelectronics industry. How a photovoltaic cell works from silicon to electricity. These particles are called photons and once they hit a solar panel, an electron is.
Fundamental properties of solar cells, principles and. An overview of solar cell technology stanford university. A slab or wafer of pure silicon is used to make a pv cell. Part ii aims to cover all the physical fundamentals that are required for understanding solar cells in general and the different technologies in particular. Pdf solar cells are a promising and potentially important technology and are the future of sustainable energy for the human civilization. The diagram above illustrates the operation of a basic photovoltaic cell, also called a solar cell. Electrons negatively charged are knocked loose from their atoms, allowing them to flow through the material to produce electricity. For solar cells, a thin semiconductor wafer is specially treated to form an electric field, positive on one side and negative on the other. The reader is told why pv cells work, and how they are made. Does it matter if the semiconductor has a direct or. The working principle of solar cells is based on the.
All the aspects presented in this chapter will be discussed in greater detail in the following chapters. By michael dhar livescience contributor 06 december 2017. This video will show how solar cell or photovoltaic cell produce electricity. How silicon makes a solar cell silicon has special chemical properties that make great solar cells. The top of the slab is very thinly diffused with an n dopant such as phosphorous. It takes a panel rated at 5 w, to average 1 w of power through the day and year, so g p g y y we would need 30 tw of. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Silicon is the stuff from which the transistors tiny switches in microchips are madeand solar cells work. Solar panels work by absorbing sunlight with photovoltaic cells, generating direct current dc energy and then converting it to usable alternating current ac energy with the help of inverter technology. Picture by rick mitchell, courtesy of us department of energynational renewable energy laboratory doenrel. On the base of the slab a small amount of a p dopant, typically boron. How a solar cell works a solar cell is made of two types of semiconductors, called ptype and ntype silicon.
You may also have seen larger solar panels, perhaps on emergency road signs, call boxes, buoys and even in parking lots to power the lights. Imagine a ray of sunlight as a stream of tiny particles. When light energy strikes the solar cell, electrons. Solar or photovoltaic cells convert the sunlight into electricity at the atomic level. Photons in sunlight hit the solar panel and are absorbed by semiconducting materials, such as silicon. How a photovoltaic cell works step 1 a slab or wafer of pure silicon is used to make a pv cell. The working principle of a solar cell tu delft opencourseware. As long as theres enough light, they seem to work forever.