A professor gives a lecture on alternative energies, emphasizing on solar energy.

Professor Britta: As I said the last lecture, we were discussing about alternatives energies, how humans have harness them, and how could they help the environment, we have talk too, about the new techniques developed of wind, wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass . Student 1 : Professor Britta. Professor: yes Student 1: we haven t talk about solar energy, well just something about its beginning, but not about the new techniques and how is nowadays developed . Professor: yes, that is the topic of this lecture; can you please read the first paragraph of solar energy in page 173 please ? Student 1: yes, page 173, Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies . Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available renewable energy on earth. Only a minuscule fraction of the available solar energy is used. Solar powered electrical generation relies on heat engines and photovoltaic cells. Solar energy's uses are limited only by human ingenuity. A partial list of solar applications includes space heating and cooling through solar architecture, potable water via distillation and disinfection, daylighting, solar hot water, solar cooking, and high temperature process heat for industrial purposes. To harvest the solar energy, the most common way is to use solar panels. Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute solar energy. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to harness the energy. Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light dispersing properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air. Professor: thank you, is the any question about the reading. Student: yes, I have one; I did not understand the passive solar energy. Professor: well what you should have clear is that passive solar techniques are focus in the construction of homes, or buildings in order to take advantage of the solar energy, on the other hand active solar techniques are those ones that harness the energy in form of electric energy. We re going to focus in this one, active solar technique. Professor: Carlos can you read pleas photovoltaic cells, in page 176. Student 2 (Carlos): off course professor:

Photovoltaic cells are devices that produce electricity directly from sunlight. Many photovoltaic cells put together form a solar array or solar panel. These cells convert light into electricity by harnessing the energy created when photons from sunlight knock electrons into a higher state of energy, within the cell itself. Photovoltaic cells are composed of layered materials which include two types of silicon, an anti-reflective coating, and a glass cover. The technology used to produce solar panels continues to advance, and may one day provide essentially free energy to power homes and businesses. One of the most important parts of a photovoltaic cell is the material used as the semiconductor. Silicon is the most commonly-used semiconductor, but other options are available for certain applications, which can be less expensive than silicon. When light hits the semiconductor, a portion of the light energy is absorbed, causing the release of electrons. The electric current that results is what can be used as electricity, and it is collected by the metal contact grids on the top and bottom of solar cells. Professor: ok enough, those are the previous photovoltaic cells, nowadays is used hybrid cells, you might wonder what does hybrid mean, is very simple, the idea is to used a polymer that provides the electrons when the sun illuminate the cell, then an oxide, which principal functions is to transport the electron, and the rest I like the last cells, as a homework you should investigate the yield of the last and the new cells in term of produced voltage.