How do Solar Panels Work?

Click on the Green Flag

to see the incoming
sunlight or photon as it
hits the solar cell. A
solar cell is known as a
photo-voltaic cell.
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How do Solar Panels Work?

The incoming light makes the

electron transition from the valence
band to the conduction band. In
doing so, both the conducting
electron and positron or hole will
move so as to create an electric
current, with a positive current
flowing from the p side to the n
side.
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How do Solar Panels Work?

In 1954 silicon based solar cells had

an efficiently of 6% and were made
at Bell laboratories. Efficiency is
defined as the ratio of electric
output power to the power coming
in or incident light/radiaition.

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How do Solar Panels Work?
Even though the efficiency of
most solar cells is low around 25%
their wide spread use could
generate significant amounts of
electricity. The solar constant of
the radiation/light reaching or
hitting the earth is
1400 W/m^2.

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How do Solar Panels Work?

Now solar cells have been made

with gallium arsenide GaAs with
efficiency's over 20%.
The price has dropped from:
1950 $15 per kilowatt hour to
1990 $0.15 per kilowatt hour

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When Design Your
Gear Set,
Keep In Mind From
smallgears to large
will rotate slowly
From large gears to
small will rotate fast
How do Solar Panels Work?
Second Edition Modern Physics for
scientists and engineers, Stephen
T. Thornton Andrew Rex.
Solar Designers' Kit Pitsco
Education

Designed, Constructed, Created,

and artistry made
By Chris Schaumberg
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