Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Cell

Solar energy is the most abundant source of energy on the planet, which is harnessed using solar power and photovoltaic cells. 

• A solar cell, often known as a photovoltaic cell, is a non-mechanical device that transforms sunlight directly into energy. 
• Solar energy is radiant heat that is capable of producing heat, causing chemical reactions, and generating electricity.
• When light strikes these cell, it can be reflected, absorbed, or passed right through it. 

The PV cell is made of semiconductor material, which conducts electricity better than an insulator but not quite as well as a good conductor like metal. 

• Artificial light can also be converted to power by some PV cells.
• Solar power, popularly known as solar electricity, involves the conversion of sunlight into electricity.
• The conversion is done directly using photovoltaic cells or indirectly using concentrated solar power.

Key Terms: Solar Power, Solar Energy, Photovoltaic Cell, Sunlight, Photons, P-n Junction, Semiconductor, Electricity, Energy, Insulator, Conductor, Metal, Power, Ultraviolet Rays

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Solar Power

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Solar power is a renewable source of energy as the sun has been radiating an estimated 5000 trillion kWh of energy for billions of years. It will continue to do so for the next 4 billion years. 

• Solar power systems use lenses or mirrors along with solar tracking systems to focus on large areas of sunlight and get to the required spot.
• It is often used to drive a steam turbine.
• Solar power is used in various applications like solar cookers and water heaters.
• Solar panels, which range in size from residential rooftops to solar farms, stretch over acres of rural land to capture this power.
• The major disadvantage of solar power is that it cannot be produced in the absence of sunlight. 

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Solar Energy

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Solar Energy is one of the most renewable sources of energy that comes from the sun. It involves the conversion of sunlight into electricity. It is a form of energy that is characterized by passive solar or active solar, depending on how they are captured.

• Solar energy is harnessed using technologies such as solar power to generate electricity and solar thermal energy.
• The energy was developed 100 years ago and used to drive machinery in industries.
• It can generate electricity even by using a magnifying glass.

 Solar energy investment and research can help to avert an imminent energy crisis while also assisting in the achievement of sustainable development goals.

• The countries in the tropical zone between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn receive plenty of sunshine throughout the year. 
• These countries, including India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, etc, have tremendous potential for harnessing solar energy.

Solar energy comes with its fair share of disadvantages. One of the major disadvantages of solar energy is its low intensity. This occurs because the radiation is scattered across the entire geographic region of the world. 

Solar Energy

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Photovoltaic Cell

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The photovoltaic cell is a device that has the ability to produce voltage or energy when exposed to sunshine. It is a device that converts solar energy into electric energy.

• It is the main ingredient in generating solar electricity. 
• When light strikes these cells, they can generate a small amount of voltage.
• These cells are made up of metal and one or two semiconductors.
• A p-junction and an n-junction are the two types of semiconductors that make up this device.

When these two semiconductors are linked, an electric field forms at the junction, forcing electrons to migrate to the p-side and holes to migrate to the n-side.

• The negatively charged and positively charged particles move in opposing directions as a result of the electric field.
• The current in the cell is induced by the electron moving through the material in an excited state.
• A single photovoltaic cell can produce approximately two watts of power.

Photovolatic cell

Advantages of Photovoltaic Cell

Some of the advantages of photovoltaic cells are as follows:

• Photovoltaic cells can generate environmentally friendly energy. 
• The sun's radiation, which is completely non-polluting, is the source of energy. 
• As a result, no contaminants are emitted, and there is no risk of environmental degradation.
• They are dependable and environmentally friendly. 
• These cells have the ability to last for long periods of time while retaining a high level of effectiveness.
• They don't create any noise and don't have any moving or mechanical components as a result, there is no disruption.
• The costs of operation and maintenance are quite low. 
• Photovoltaic cells can be extremely beneficial in rural and distant locations that are still without electricity. 

Disadvantages of Photovoltaic Cell

Some disadvantages of Photovoltaic cells are discussed below:

• Photovoltaic cells are inefficient when compared to other renewable energy sources.
• They can only function in the presence of sunshine, implying that they will be useless in the face of inclement weather.
• On a cloudy or wet day, a different option may be required.
• Long-distance transmission of solar energy is impossible. 
• They are quite vulnerable to damage and must be handled with caution.
• Though the maintenance costs are low, the initial installation of these cells might be costly.

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Things to Remember

• Solar energy is a form of energy that is utilised using photovoltaic cells and solar power.
• Solar power plants use this energy by using Photovoltaic (PV) systems and concentrated solar power.
• A photovoltaic cell is a non-mechanical device that transforms sunlight directly into energy.
• Light is a type of electromagnetic radiation made up of photons, which are tiny packets or bundles of energy.
• The efficiency of solar panels may be maintained simply by wiping their surfaces.

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