Solar Photovoltaic Technology — Presentation Transcript
Photovoltaic (PV) Technology – The Basics• Directly creates
electrical energy from sunlight (DC)• No moving parts• Lasts for
20+ years with minimal maintenance• Uses direct and indirect
insolation; works anywhere with light• Does not store energy
without a battery• First commercialized in U.S. (Bell Labs) in
the 1950’s How does PV technology work? •Photons strike and
ionize the semiconductor material causing outer electrons to
break free of their atomic bonds. •Due to the semiconductor
structure, the electrons are forced in one direction creating a
flow of electrical current. •Solar cells are not 100% efficient
in Diagram of a typical crystalline silicon solar cell. To make
this type part because some of the light of cell, wafers of
high-purity silicon are “doped” with various spectrum is
reflected, some is too impurities and fused together. The
resulting structure creates a pathway for electrical current
within and between the solar cells. weak to creat