A solar cell is any device that directly converts the energy in light into electrical energy through the process of photovoltaics.
The term photovoltaic literally means light electricity.
This first solar cell created was made from Selenium but was very inefficient.
The Silicon solar cell was invented by Bell Laboratories in the mid 1950's originally designed for their semiconductor industry.
This process was the basis for all solar cell technologies to date.
In the 1950's solar panels were extremely inefficient - a less than 2% rate of efficiency.
Modern systems currently use thin photovoltaic film processes and crystalline technologies effectively outputting more than 20% efficiency.
Because of the high cost of solar panels in the 1960's most solar products were reserved for space exploration, satellite technologies and government usage.
Today however solar technology can be found everywhere in both commercial as well as residential applications.
The following is a descriptive list of solar cell based technologies.
Polycrystalline Silicon cells are cut from a boule casted from melted silicon and then cooled.
The Polycrystalline silicon cells are then developed into many-sided crystals, which grow in various directions.
These types of silicon are slightly less efficient than the Monocrystalline.
They are also considerably less expensive.
Monocrystalline silicon provides the highest efficiency of all the types available but it is also the most expensive therefore not necessarily the best choice for all homes.
These types of silicon are some of the oldest, most common, and most steadfast of technologies.
They are visible on rooftops or along the roadsides bringing power to isolated areas.
Each unit is designed with a single silicon crystal, and tends to be more efficient as well as more costly than the less expensive modern Polycrystalline silicon units.
Energy ensnaring surfaces are silk screened on to cover the silicon wafers and working solar cells are produced from there.
Solar panels for homes using Monocrystalline silicon cells provide the highest efficiencies available in today's market.
Ungraded Silicon is used to save money on materials but is of a very low-grade and impure quality and also produces a less efficient solar panel.
This process is widely used in Canada and sold to U.
S.
and European markets.
Ribbon Silicon is created through a process costing much less than traditional manufacturing techniques.
The silicon in this process is crafted into tiny wafers, which helps to avoid the more expensive process of sawing silicon to create the cells.
The defined edge film growth fed method begins with two seed crystals forming a thin layer of silicon ribbon out of melted silicon.
And although far less expensive to produce, cell efficiency is almost always reduced.
Thin film solar panels or amorphous solar panels are not set in any precise standard and sometime have issues with defects in stability or structure.
They are manufactured by spraying the silicon in a liquid form onto a substrate made of glass.
Film is by far the least expensive to manufacture however it is also the least efficient as it degrades quite a lot when first exposed to light.
Cadmium Tellurium solar technology is another process yielding lower efficient panels that does not utilize silicon.
It is created by using a combination of Zinc, Cadmium and Tellurium.
Unfortunately the Cadmium used is extremely toxic and causes cancer, which elevates concern in heath circles however it is toxic only when Cadmium dust is inhaled or digested.
The term photovoltaic literally means light electricity.
This first solar cell created was made from Selenium but was very inefficient.
The Silicon solar cell was invented by Bell Laboratories in the mid 1950's originally designed for their semiconductor industry.
This process was the basis for all solar cell technologies to date.
In the 1950's solar panels were extremely inefficient - a less than 2% rate of efficiency.
Modern systems currently use thin photovoltaic film processes and crystalline technologies effectively outputting more than 20% efficiency.
Because of the high cost of solar panels in the 1960's most solar products were reserved for space exploration, satellite technologies and government usage.
Today however solar technology can be found everywhere in both commercial as well as residential applications.
The following is a descriptive list of solar cell based technologies.
Polycrystalline Silicon cells are cut from a boule casted from melted silicon and then cooled.
The Polycrystalline silicon cells are then developed into many-sided crystals, which grow in various directions.
These types of silicon are slightly less efficient than the Monocrystalline.
They are also considerably less expensive.
Monocrystalline silicon provides the highest efficiency of all the types available but it is also the most expensive therefore not necessarily the best choice for all homes.
These types of silicon are some of the oldest, most common, and most steadfast of technologies.
They are visible on rooftops or along the roadsides bringing power to isolated areas.
Each unit is designed with a single silicon crystal, and tends to be more efficient as well as more costly than the less expensive modern Polycrystalline silicon units.
Energy ensnaring surfaces are silk screened on to cover the silicon wafers and working solar cells are produced from there.
Solar panels for homes using Monocrystalline silicon cells provide the highest efficiencies available in today's market.
Ungraded Silicon is used to save money on materials but is of a very low-grade and impure quality and also produces a less efficient solar panel.
This process is widely used in Canada and sold to U.
S.
and European markets.
Ribbon Silicon is created through a process costing much less than traditional manufacturing techniques.
The silicon in this process is crafted into tiny wafers, which helps to avoid the more expensive process of sawing silicon to create the cells.
The defined edge film growth fed method begins with two seed crystals forming a thin layer of silicon ribbon out of melted silicon.
And although far less expensive to produce, cell efficiency is almost always reduced.
Thin film solar panels or amorphous solar panels are not set in any precise standard and sometime have issues with defects in stability or structure.
They are manufactured by spraying the silicon in a liquid form onto a substrate made of glass.
Film is by far the least expensive to manufacture however it is also the least efficient as it degrades quite a lot when first exposed to light.
Cadmium Tellurium solar technology is another process yielding lower efficient panels that does not utilize silicon.
It is created by using a combination of Zinc, Cadmium and Tellurium.
Unfortunately the Cadmium used is extremely toxic and causes cancer, which elevates concern in heath circles however it is toxic only when Cadmium dust is inhaled or digested.
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