Neagu Iuliana ,1212 IET Photovoltaic cells

Photovoltaic cells
Solar comes from the latin word Sun(Sol Solis ) the most powerful energy source used
to heat, and light our lifes , homes, buildings. There are lots of ways to convert the energy from
the Sun into useful energy for us. These are solar water heating, passive solar design for space
heating and cooling, and solar photovoltaics for electricity.
Solar cells, also called photovoltaic cells (PV) convert the energy of the Sun into electricity
at the atomic level. PV gets its name from the process of converting light (photons) to electricity
(voltage), which is called the PV effect.
To understand what a photovoltaic cell is, first we need to understand what a photovoltaic
system is and what it can do. Photovoltaic systems are systems which behave in an extraordinary
and useful way: They react to light by transforming part of it into electricity. The photovoltaic
(PV) effect is the basis of the conversion of light to electricity in photovoltaic, or solar, cells.
Described simply, the PV effect is as follows: Light, which is pure energy, enters a PV cell and
imparts enough energy to some electrons (negatively charged atomic particles) to free them. A
built-in-potential barrier in the cell acts on these electrons to produce a voltage (the so-called
photovoltage) , which can be used to drive a current through a circuit.
In a basic point of view, a photovoltaic cell can be thought of as any device
in which sunlight releases electric charges which enter the semiconductor and can move freely in
it and finally flow through an electric load, such as a motor or a light bulb.
The electrical energy is being produced as long as the panel is exposed to Sun light. The solar
cell absorbs only a part of the light particles which fall directly on its surface. Every photon
contains a small amount of energy. When a photon its absorbed, it gives away some energy. And
because every part of a solar cell is connected to a cable, a current will pass through it. The cell
will produce electricity which can be used instantly or can be stored in accumulators.
In order for a material to modify the sun light into electrical energy, it must satisfy two
conditions: the first: it needs to be able to absorb incident photons through the promotion of
electrons to higher energy levels and second, it must contain an internal electric field that
accelerates the promoted electrons in a particular direction, resulting in an electrical current.
Types of photovoltaic cells :
Silicon solar cells were first described in print in 1954, and solar cells have been used on most of
the spacecraft launched since then.There are many types of solar cells , but the most important

Neagu Iuliana ,1212 IET Photovoltaic cells

three types of solar cells are : amorphous or thin-film, monocrystalline and polycrystalline
modules.
Amorphous silicon is a non-crystalline, allotropic form of silicon and the most well-developed
thin film technology to-date. Thin-film silicon is an alternative to conventional wafer crystalline
silicon. This type of thin-film cell is mostly fabricated by a technique called plasma enhacenced
chemical vapor deposition. It uses a gaseous mixture of silane (SiH4) and hydrogen to deposit a
very thin layer of only 1 micrometre of silicon on a substrate, such as glass, plastic or metal, that
has already been coated with a layer of transparent conducting oxide. Other methods used to
deposit amorphous silicon on a substrate include sputtering and hot wire techniques.
Polycrystalline silicon, also called polysilicon or poly-Si, is a high purity, multicrystalline form
of silicon, used as a raw material by the solar photovoltaic and electronics industry. Polysilicon
consists of small crystals, also known as crystallites, giving the material its typical metal flake
effect. While polysilicon and multisilicon are often used as synonyms, multicrystalline usually
refers to crystalls larger than 1 mm. Multicrystalline solar cells are the most common type of
solar cells used in photovoltaics and consume most of the worldwide produced polysilicon.
Monocrystalline silicon is the base material for silicon chips used in virtually all electronic
equipment today. Mono-Si also serves as photovoltaic, light-absorbing material in the
manufacture of solar cells. It consists of silicon in which the crystal lattice of the entire solid is
continuous, unbroken to its edges, and free of any grain boundaries. Mono-Si can be
prepared intrinsic, consisting only of exceedingly pure silicon, or doped, containing very small
quantities of other elements added to change its semiconducting properties.

Monocrystalline silicon panel:

Photovoltaic cells are solid state devices that convert light directly into electricity. Photovoltaic
literally means light electricity. These devices can be commonly found providing power for
small scale devices such as calculators, watches, and small radios. However, they are not limited
to small scale systems. They are also used to power satellites, communications equipment,
houses and many other things, especially in remote locations where a power grid is not readily
available. In isolated locations the only power attainable comes from the sun. The sun shines

Neagu Iuliana ,1212 IET Photovoltaic cells

approximately 1000 watts of energy per square meter of the planets surface, which if harnessed
could power any city.

Bibliography:
-Solar Cells From basic to Advanced System- Carnegie-Mellon University(book)
- http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/
-Basic Photovoltaics Priciples and Methods (Book)
- Bailey, Robert L. 1980. Solar Electrics Research and
Development. Ann Arbor, MI: Ann Arbor
Sciences; pp. 2-186.
Cheremisinoff, Paul N.; Dickinson, William C.
(eds.). 1980. Solar Energy Technology Handbook,
Part A. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker, Inc.; pp.
1-167.
Dixon, A.E.; Leslie, J.D. (eds.). 1979. Solar Energy .e
Conversion. New York, NY: Pergamon Press; pp.
1-37.
Rauschenbach, H.S. 1980. Solar Cell Array Design
Handbook. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold
Co.; pp. 6-14, 155-160.
-www.wikipedia.com
- http://www.ukessays.com/essays/engineering/
- http://science.nasa.gov/
- http://www.123helpme.com/

Neagu Iuliana ,1212 IET Photovoltaic cells