Ben Stratton

Mrs. Miller
English 9
May 16, 2008

Solar Power
Solar power is the world’s cleanest source of gathering electricity, and it is known

as the conversion of sunlight into electricity. Considering the fact that generally all the

Earth’s energy once came from the Sun, only less than 0.05% of the world’s power plants

use this method of generating electricity. 1 This old yet “new” source of energy is one that

someone might take advantage of due to its well-researched efficiency and cleanliness.

The photoelectric effect was first noted by a French physicist, Edmund Bequerel,

in 1839. He found that certain materials would produce small amounts of electric current

when exposed to light. In 1905, Albert Einstein outlined the nature of light and the

photoelectric effect on which photovoltaic technology is based. For this research, he

later won a Nobel prize in physics. According to the American Heritage Dictionary,

photovoltaic means capable of producing a voltage when exposed to radiant energy,

especially light. The first photovoltaic module was made by Bell Laboratories in 1954. It

was introduced as a solar battery, and was mostly just a curiosity as it was too expensive

for popular usage. In the 1960s, the space industry began to make the first practical use of

this technology to provide power aboard spacecraft. Through the space programs, solar

technology advanced, and it became both a more reliable and less costly source of power.
1
Gadler, Steve, and Wendy Adamson. Sun Power. Lerner Publications Company, (Gadler and Adamson 9).
During the energy crisis in the 1970s, photovoltaic technology gained recognition as a

source of power for non-space applications. 2 However, it was not until 1983 that Charles

Fritts built the first solar cell in which he coated the solar semiconductor selenium with

an extremely thin layer of gold to form the junctions, but the device was only around one

percent efficient. 3

Solar semiconductors can harness energy of the Sun simply by being exposed to

its sunlight. This is possible because the Sun puts off radiation that sends small particles,

called photons, 186,000 miles per second though space into our atmosphere. When these

photons reflect off of the semiconductor, a small amount of them are absorbed. When the

photons are absorbed they are still moving the same speed within the semiconductor. This

motion causes friction, and as the friction occurs electrons are excited and “break loose”

in the conductor, which causes electricity to be produced. At this point, the electricity is

drawn/focused to small strips of metal, called conductors, and then the harnessed

electricity is changed into chemical energy in a device consisting of one or more galvanic

cells, also known as a battery. After this, the electrical energy is finally harnessed, and is

ready for many uses. A Photovoltaic cell, known as a PV cell, consists of two or more

thin layers of semi-conducting material, usually silicon. When the silicon is exposed to

light, electrical charges are generated and this can be conducted away by metal contacts

as direct current, DC. The electrical output from a single cell is small; so multiple cells

are connected together and encapsulated, usually behind glass, to form a module,
2
Gil , Knier. "How do Photovoltaics Work?." science.nasa.gov. Science@NASA. 18 May 2008
<http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2002/solarcells.htm>.
3
"Education | Fundamentals and Importance." renu.citizenre.com. © 2007 The Citizenrē Corporation. 16
May 2008 <http://renu.citizenre.com/index.php?p=edu_fundamentals>, (Citizenrē REnU ).
sometimes referred to as a "panel". The PV module is the principle building block of a

PV system and any number of modules can be connected together to give the desired

electrical output. 4

Solar semiconductors are made in a very unique way, and are generally composed

of silicon or germanium, and copper. There are many ways to make solar semiconductors,

but one technique is to drop small particles of a pure silicon substance and heat them into

a liquid as they fall in to a mold. When it falls in to a mold, it is then cooled into a block

of solid silicon. This is called a silicon ingot. Then it is sliced wafer thin, cut to the

desired size and shape, and given an ultra smooth finish. After the silicon is primed into

a flat sheet, copper is then applied to sheet to form as conductors, and a substance like

selenium is then coated to the semiconductor. When these processes are done, wiring is

then installed to drive the electrical current into a battery.

A solar semiconductors’ energy conversion efficiency is the percent of power

converted and collected when a solar semiconductor is connected to an electrical circuit.

The semiconductors’ efficiency can be calculated by the equation “maximum power

divided be the product of Watts per meter squared and meters squared; .

However, solar semiconductors typical have an average efficiency of 12%, with the best

commercially available at only 20 to 30 percent efficiency. 5

4
"SOLAR ELECTRICITY EXPLAINED." www.electricityforum.com. 2008. The Electricity Forum. 18
May 2008 <http://www.electricityforum.com/solar-electricity.html>..
5
"Solar Energy Systems." www.worldsnest.com. 18 May 2008
<http://www.worldsnest.com/html/solar.html>..
 Over the past hundred years, people have developed an ever-increasing need for

electric power. It is hard to imagine life today without using electricity to light our

homes, wake to our snooze alarm clocks, microwave and refrigerate our food, or even

power our computers, sounds systems, and televisions. In order to get electricity, there

must be a source of some sort that produces it. There are up to seven main sources of

power that are in use today, but only one source that produces electricity with no

pollution. It is clear that we must continue to improve our ability to generate electricity

using this energy source to meet our ever-growing demands.