Photovoltaic cells

Photovoltaic (PV) Panels

Due to the growing demand for renewable energy sources, the manufacture of solar cells and photovoltaic cell arrays has advanced dramatically in recent years. Photovoltaic production has been increasing by an average of more than 20 percent each year since 2002, making it the world’s fastest-growing energy technology. In the pas,t reliable photovoltaic cells were not considered to be affordable for many home owners, but the increase in self-sustaining electricity technology has made them much more affordable and reliable.

As this is a modular renewable energy technology, it is expandable, meaning that as your electrical needs grow you can opt to add on more modules to the photovoltaic panels so that you can rely more and more on renewable solar energy instead of traditional energy sources. Another reason why photovoltaic panels are now so popular is that individuals and both large and small businesses are looking for ways to be more eco-friendly and this renewable technology can be easily installed and implemented turning unused roof space into something productive.

How do Photovoltaic Cells Work?

The solar cells that you see in solar panels are also called photovoltaic (PV) cells, which as the name implies (photo meaning "light" and voltaic meaning electricity), convert sunlight directly into electricity. A module is a group of cells connected electrically and packaged into a frame (this is the solar panel), which can then be grouped into larger solar arrays for large commercial energy projects

Photovoltaic cells are made of special materials called semiconductors such as silicon, which is currently used most commonly. The process begins when light strikes the cell, a certain portion of it is absorbed within the semiconductor material. This means that the energy of the absorbed light is transferred to the semiconductor. The energy knocks electrons loose, allowing them to flow freely.

Photovoltaic PV cells also all have one or more electric fields that acts to force electrons freed by light absorption to flow in a certain direction. This flow of electrons is called a current, and by placing metal contacts on the top and bottom of the PV cell, we can draw that current off for external use, say, to be used as part of the homes electricity supply. This current, together with the cell's voltage (which is a result of its built-in electric field or fields), defines the power (or wattage) that the solar cell can produce.