Solar panels are useful components that convert rays of the sun into usable energy. They are made up of multiple small units called photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaic can be broken down into photo (light) and volt (electricity), which means they can convert sunlight into electricity. Solar panels have an array of photovoltaic cells that allows photons, which are particles of light, to knock electrons free from atoms, generating a flow of electricity. Each photovoltaic cell is made up of multiple layers of semiconducting material, mostly silicon, which is used in microelectronics.
In order for solar panels to work, the photovoltaic cells create an electric field, which is like a magnetic field. Magnetic fields are created due to opposite poles, whereas electric fields are created when opposite charges are separated. To generate the electric field, the manufacturers must mix silicon with other materials creating a positive or negative charge for each layer of the photovoltaic cell.
Manufacturers put phosphorus into the top layer of silicon, which adds extra electrons, or a negative charge, to that layer. The bottom layer gets boron, which results in fewer electrons, or a positive charge. This forms the electric field at the intersection between the silicon layers. Once a photon of sunlight knocks an electron free, the electric field will push that electron out of the silicon intersection. Metal conductive plates on the sides of the photovoltaic cell collect the electrons and transfer them to wires. Then, the electrons can flow like most other sources of electricity.
These photovoltaic cells are ultrathin, flexible solar cells that are only 1.3 microns thick, which is roughly 1/100th the width of a human hair, and are 20 times lighter than a sheet of paper. Even though the cells are so thin and light, they produce energy as efficiently as glass-based solar cells. These lighter and more flexible photovoltaic cells can be integrated into architecture, aerospace, and even handheld technology.
In conclusion, solar panels are made up of multiple photovoltaic cells, each made of layers of silicon specifically coated with phosphorus and boron to create an electric field, which causes a flow of electricity making abundant sunlight into usable energy. These ultrathin photovoltaic cells are as efficient as glass-based solar cells allowing us to implement them easier into architecture, aerospace, and handheld technology.
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By: Zubin Sidhu
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References:
Dhar, Michael. “How Do Solar Panels Work?” LiveScience, Future US, Inc., 6 Dec. 2017, www.livescience.com/41995-how-do-solar-panels-work.html#:~:text=Simply put, a solar panel,smaller units called photovoltaic cells.
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