The Truth Behind The Solar Power Cell
~ Tony Hartmann ~
The Truth Behind The Solar Power Cell
By Tony Hartmann
Many people have seen them and have even talked about them, but few ever consider the technology behind a solar power cell and how it converts sunlight into electrical energy. It is really a simple, yet somewhat technologically precise process.
A Solar power cell is considered a photovoltaic cell, simply stated the photo is equal to light and voltaic is equal to energy. These photovoltaic cells simply gather the light and send it towards diodes, which absorb a portion of it as heat energy. This heat energy begins to kick electrons around inside the diode, causing them to begin moving. Contacts on either end of the diode gives direction to the flowing electrons, creating a flow, or current, of power.
Contacts on the top and bottom of the photovoltaic cell allows the current to drawn off and used in a manner appropriate with the amount of current available. Think of the solar powered calculators and how, as long as there is light, they seem to work forever and have no battery power on which to draw. The built-in solar power
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KCC Energy Programs Manager said the objective was to demonstrate that solar cells are a viable source of energy for powering many different types of electrical devices.
cell provides enough power to keep it going. To shut them off, you usually only need to block the light.
Right Mix Of Elements Makes Power Move
The most often used mineral in a solar power cell is silicon, but not pure silicon. Since silicon neutrons are somewhat slow to react, the amount of power generated by a solar power cell made of pure silicon probably would not be worth the effort. Adding phosphorous into the mix, which has an odd number of electrons in its outer ring, five, when heated is quick to release the extra electron generating more power and generating it faster than pure silicon.
Technology does not stop there, however. Only one side of the solar power cell contains phosphorous. The other side has boron added to it as an impurity in the silicon. When heat is added to the silicon, a few of its electrons begin bouncing loose forming holes, which are quickly filled by the extra electrons of the phosphorous. As additional electrons break free, searching for a new home they see the holes in the boron and a rush is on to fill the gaps. Creating more power and more electricity than pure silicon could hope to generate.
While this is a brief overview of how the solar power cell is made with impurities to actually allow it to perform much better, obviously there is more information available. However, for most people simply knowing the basics of how a solar power cell works, will be sufficient.
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