How PV Cells WorkThis article goes into detail on how photovoltaic (PV) cells and solar panels work. But in order to best understand the functionality and uses of photovoltaic panels and to understand how they work, it is important to first have a solid understanding about how the sun’s solar energy works and why it is important to the earth’s inhabitants.
Every second, the sun produces an extremely high number of radiant energy into the rest of the solar system. Because the earth is so relatively close to the sun, a large amount of this energy is collected by this planet.
Even though it is a large amount, in all actuality, it is only a small percentage of the total amount of energy that the sun releases. Although a good portion of this is collected on the earth’s outer extremities, much of this is then reflected into the earth’s atmosphere.
It is from this point where the location and use of PV cells truly comes more into play. The role of PV panels is to attract and collect the sun’s light, and then aid in the transformation from light into energy. This process is known as the photovoltaic effect.
Of course, not all PV cells are built the same and their effectiveness may vary. One of the most popular kinds of cells are the single-crystal silicon solar cells. But, there are other types that may be used. These types include other important PV panels materials such as polycrystalline silicon, copper indium diselenide, amorphous silicon, gallium arsenide, and cadmium telluride.
The most important part of sunlight to the functionality of PV cells are the photons within the sunlight. Each photon contains a different amount of electricity that corresponds to different wavelengths of the solar spectrum.
When the photons finally reach PV cells, there are a few different things that may happen. First, the sunlight may be reflected. Secondly, the light could be absorbed, or third, they could simply pass through without much effect at all.
For those who are hoping to use solar energy, they need for the sunlight to be absorbed into the PV cells. After this occurs, there is a simple, yet complex process that begins to take place inside of the PV panels that will ultimately end in the creation of solar energy.
Upon entering the cell, the energy that the photon carried is transferred away from the photon and into an atom in the electron of a semiconductor device. Thanks to this new source of energy, there are changes that occur.
The electron suddenly becomes much more mobile and then leaves its previous position as a part of an atom and instead becomes a part of the current of an electrical current. This is how what once was sunlight is then transferred into energy.
Of course, in order for the energy to be most useful, another transformation must take place. A device called an inverter is what takes the DC current and reforms it into AC current.
Most household devices like toasters, hair dryers, electric razors and televisions run on AC current. Therefore, the use of an inverter is something that helps many people to be able to transfer the energy into a more useful form.
To learn more about PV cells and how they work, check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell
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