Solar Cell

Solar cell or photovoltaic cell is a semiconductor device consisting of a large area pn junction diode, where the presence of sunlight to create a useful electric energy. This alteration is called the photovoltaic effect. Field of research related to solar cells known as photovoltaic.

Solar cells have many applications. They are especially suitable for use when electric power from the grid is not available, such as in remote areas, earth orbiting satellites, handheld calculators, water pumps, etc.. Solar cells (in the form of modules or solar panels) can be mounted on the roof of the building in which they are associated with the inverter to the electricity grid in a net metering arrangement.

Solar cell material consists of the protective glass and transparent adhesive material that protects the solar cell material from the state of the environment, anti-reflection material to absorb more light and reduce the amount of reflected light, semi-conductor P-type and N-type (made from a mixture silicon) to generate an electric field, initial channel and the channel end to send the electron to the electric appliances.

The energy released by the sun actually received by the earth's surface only 69% of the total solar radiant energy, which reached 3 x 10 joules per year, this energy is equivalent to 2 x 1017 Watt. Amount of energy is equivalent to 10,000 times the energy consumption around the world today. In other words, by closing down 0.1% in the surface of the earth with solar cell devices that have 10% efficiency has been able to cover the energy needs throughout the world today.

How it works is by using solar cells as a particle theory of light. As is well known that light is visible and the invisible has two properties that can be as waves and as particles called photons. This discovery was first proposed by Einstein in 1905.
Until now, there are several types of solar cell is successfully developed by the researchers to get a solar cell device that has a high efficiency or to get a cheap solar cell devices and easy to manufacture.

The first type is successfully developed by the researchers is the type of single crystal silicon wafers. The second type of solar cell is a type of poly crystal silicon wafers. Both types of silicon wafers is known as first generation of solar cells having thicknesses in the range of 180 to 240 micro meters. The second-generation solar cells is a type of thin film solar cells.

Research so that prices become more affordable solar cells subsequently led to the third generation of this type of solar cell that is the type of polymer solar cells or solar cells are also called organic and type of photo electrochemical solar cells. Organic solar cells made from organic semiconductor materials such as polyphenylene vinylene and fullerene.