Principles and advantages of solar cells

What is the working principle of a solar cell?

Working Principle: The solar cell working principle involves converting light energy into electrical energy by separating light-induced charge carriers within a semiconductor. Role of Semiconductors: Semiconductors like silicon are crucial because their properties can be modified to create free electrons or holes that carry electric current.

What is a solar cell & how does it work?

Solar cell, any device that directly converts the energy of light into electrical energy through the photovoltaic effect. The majority of solar cells are fabricated from silicon—with increasing efficiency and lowering cost as the materials range from amorphous to polycrystalline to crystalline silicon forms.

What are the advantages of a solar cell?

With its direct band gap of moderate size (1.42 eV), it allows cell efficiencies above 30%. In addition, it is quite durable and can withstand high operating temperatures, low light conditions and irradiation. These characteristics make it ideal for space applications.

What is a solar cell?

A solar cell (also known as a photovoltaic cell or PV cell) is defined as an electrical device that converts light energy into electrical energy through the photovoltaic effect. A solar cell is basically a p-n junction diode.

Why are solar cells sensitive to photovoltaic effect?

It is a semiconductor device and sensitive to photovoltaic effect. Solar cells normally consists of single crystal silicon P-n junction. When photons of light energy from the sun fall on semiconductor junction, the electron-hole pairs are created.

How efficient are solar cells?

Present day solar cells have efficiency as high as 25%. Now a days, Solar cells are usually produced from semiconductors, such as Silicon and Gallium. A single Solar cell produces very small current at a small potential difference. So, for practical use, a large number of such solar cells are connected together.