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A solar cell, also known as a photovoltaic cell (PV cell), is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by means of the photovoltaic effect. [1] It is a form of photoelectric cell, a device whose electrical characteristics (such as current , voltage , or resistance ) vary when it is exposed to light.
Ohmic metal-semiconductor contacts are made to both the n-type and p-type sides of the solar cell, and the electrodes connected to an external load. Electrons that are created on the n-type side, or created on the p-type side, "collected" by the junction and swept onto the n-type side, may travel through the wire, power the load, and continue ...
Solar-cell efficiency is the portion of energy in the form of sunlight that can be converted via photovoltaics into electricity by the solar cell. The efficiency of the solar cells used in a photovoltaic system , in combination with latitude and climate, determines the annual energy output of the system.
Solar array mounted on a rooftop. A solar panel is a device that converts sunlight into electricity by using photovoltaic (PV) cells. PV cells are made of materials that produce excited electrons when exposed to light.
Thin-film solar cells, a second generation of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells: Top: thin-film silicon laminates being installed onto a roof. Middle: CIGS solar cell on a flexible plastic backing and rigid CdTe panels mounted on a supporting structure Bottom: thin-film laminates on rooftops Thin-film solar cells are a type of solar cell made by depositing one or more thin layers (thin films or ...
There are four main categories of photovoltaic cells: conventional mono- and poly-crystalline silicon (c-Si) cells, thin film solar cells (a-Si, CIGS and CdTe), and multi-junction (MJ) solar cells. The fourth category, emerging photovoltaics , contains technologies that are still in the research or development phase and are not listed in the ...
A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is a device that converts light into electric current using the photovoltaic effect. The first solar cell was constructed by Charles Fritts in the 1880s. [13] The German industrialist Ernst Werner von Siemens was among those who recognized the importance of this discovery. [14]
Cadmium telluride PV is the only thin film technology with lower costs than conventional solar cells made of crystalline silicon in multi-kilowatt systems. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] On a lifecycle basis, CdTe PV has the smallest carbon footprint , lowest water use and shortest energy payback time of any current photovoltaic technology.