PV Solar Cells: The Foundation of Modern Solar Panels

Photovoltaic, or PV cells are the basis for many solar panels. The Photovoltaic cells harness the energy from the sun and convert them directly to electricity. An individual Photovoltaic cell produces enough energy to provide energy to operate a small device such as calculators. Large scale Photovoltaic systems can provide energy for large scale operations including residential and industrial applications. The basic explanation of how Photovoltaic cells work is that they provide a material that is easily 'excited' by photons from sunlight. The photons knock electrons from the material. The flow of energy is directed along wires to batteries or direct applications that make use of the electricity immediately.

A Photovoltaic cell named after the Greek word for 'light' and the word 'voltaic' which means 'electrical'. The first solar cells with a potential for 'real life' applications were produced in 1957. At this time Photovoltaic cells were used in satellites and spacecraft. Photovoltaic cells have gone through many changes since then. There are three main types of photo-voltaic cells. They began as large, single crystal cells with silicon. The next Photovoltaic cells continued to use semiconductors, but made advances in technology in order to achieve higher efficiency. This type of photo-voltaic cell has gained popularity for residential and industrial uses. New research is proposing unique technology including cells with nano-crystals and photo-electrochemical cells. Also polymer based technologies are being researched.

Photovoltaic cells are connected to produce a module, or panel. Photovoltaic modules are combined to form an array that is designed to meet the specific needs for an individual application. Electricity is fed into an electrical grid with inverters that connect the Photovoltaic system to the grid. For non grid-tied systems, batteries are required to store energy that is not used as it is produced. Because Photovoltaic systems directly convert sunlight to electricity, the practical uses are far reaching and could have an enormous impact on the economy and the environment, as well as lending autonomy to individual users.