Most people in developed countries are used to the possibility of a switch, electricity sales have spring to life with the power of the myriad objects and systems in their homes. Electrical energy is used to operate everything from kitchen appliances such as stoves, ovens, refrigerators and dishwashers, to light fixtures, garage door openers, and smaller items such as televisions, computers, hairdryers and much more. Although many of us grew up and spent our lives using electricity to help us achieve the tasks of daily life, there are some new alternatives that are beginning to be more widespread in use, and one of the most promising isphotovoltaics.

It all starts with The Sun

Since time immemorial, people have enjoyed the warmth that comes from the Sun It warms the earth, heats homes and helps plants grow, making our food sources to flourish. Scientists began to think about how the energy from the sun can be used for a reliable means for people to use that energy to make, and so began the rise and the initial research on solar energy.

The big advantage that comes from the use of solar energy is that it is free to everyone on the planet. While it is true that some parts of Earth receive more sunlight than others, the goal is to capture the energy of the sun and storing it in cells, then an appeal can be made when the direct energy from the sun is not available, such as at night or in times of the year when sunlight is less strong or available.

As photovoltaic solar cell technology is trying to do is to convert sunlight into electricity. The first step is a necessary material that can capture the sunlight. This material is called a semiconductor.The semiconductor, which is often silicon, it absorbs sunlight. Once the light is absorbed, the next step is to release energy in the photovoltaic solar cell in the form of electrons.

These electrons must be organized within the cell in order to generate usable energy and thus an electric field is used to determine the electron to go in the same direction, known as an electrical current. Currently, the electricity taken from the cell using a metal contact on top of and at the bottom of the cell. Many individual solar cells can be connected to a solar panel, which also results in more electric power created from the larger system.

Many advances are happening in photovoltaic energy development, and the day may soon come when solar energy will be cost-effective to be widely used throughout the country.