Definition
A device that uses the photovoltaic effect in semiconductors to convert solar radiation directly into direct-current electricity.
Photovoltaic cells turn the semiconductor junction of materials science directly into a means of capturing energy. Their variable output brings energy storage, inverters and grid control back into the main story.
Principles and impact
Problems solved
- Generates electricity without rotating machinery or fuel combustion.
- Provides modular power sources for remote locations, spacecraft and distributed energy systems.
Principles
- Photons generate charge carriers in a semiconductor, and the built-in electric field of the p-n junction separates and collects the charges.
- Multiple cells are connected in series and parallel and packaged into modules, which connect to alternating-current systems through inverters.
Improvements
- Unlike heat-engine power generation, operation involves no fuel combustion or rotating parts.
Significance
- Transferred semiconductor materials technology to energy harvesting and became a distributed power source in modern electricity systems.
History and applications
People
Daryl Chapin、Calvin Fuller、Gerald Pearson
Organizations
Bell Telephone Laboratories
Events
Bell Labs' practical silicon photovoltaic cell in 1954
Applications
Photovoltaic power plants、Distributed power generation on buildings、Spacecraft power supplies
Limitations
- Output varies with sunlight and weather, requiring power electronics, energy storage or grid balancing.
Upstream and downstream relations
Upstream
Sources: United States Electricity Industry PrimerSolar Integration: Inverters and Grid Services Basics
Downstream
Sources: Solar Achievements TimelineSolar Integration: Inverters and Grid Services Basics