How does Photovoltaic Cell Work?

Do you remember the iconic scene from the hit show 'Breaking Bad’ when Walter White and his sidekick Jesse Pinkman were caught in an RV that wouldn’t start? So, Mr. White had to create some sort of a photovoltaic cell to power the vehicle’s battery so that it could start.

There is a law in science called the Law of Conservation of Energy that states that energy can only be transformed from one form to the other. So, the photovoltaic cell should follow this fundamental law of Physics.

In this article, we discuss all there is about Photovoltaic cells and if they are the future of electricity. Take a look:

What Are Photovoltaic Cells And How Do They Work?

Imagine photovoltaic cells as your regular battery, with the only difference being that the cell generates electricity when exposed to the rays of the sun. A photovoltaic cell absorbs the incident solar energy and then, converts it into electrical energy. This is the basic concept that rules the idea of a solar cell and panel.

A photovoltaic cell functions on the photoelectric effect which was first discovered by French scientist Edmund Bequerel and was later pioneered by Albert Einstein who noted that when solar or light energy strikes the panel of a photovoltaic cell, it loses electrons from its semiconductor membrane. This semiconductor membrane is often made up of Silicon. In order to use those released electrons, electrical conductors have to be the attached at the ends of the panel such that it forms a positive and a negative terminal so that the electrons can further be used as electrical energy, i.e., electricity.

To understand the concept of a photovoltaic cell better, take a look at the diagram below. When the solar energy hits the semiconductor panel, it converts it into electrical energy.

(Image Courtesy: (NASA)

Are Photovoltaic And Solar Cells The Same Thing?

Many people often confuse a photovoltaic cell to be exactly the same as a solar cell. While the two are practically the same, the one difference that does exist between them is that a solar cell exclusively uses solar energy to produce electricity, whereas a photovoltaic cell can use infrared and UV waves to convert them into electricity.

So, we can say that every solar cell is a photovoltaic cell, but the opposite of that is not true.

How Photovoltaic And Solar Cells Are The Future Of Electricity

One thing that is clear up till now that solar cells are a great way of generating electricity. The most common way of generating electricity today is burning fossil fuels. As a result, the current mode is not a replenishable model, i.e., there will come a time when mankind would run out of all the fossil fuels, and then there would be no way to create electricity. Add to that, the massive amount of pollution that burning fossil fuel causes that has also resulted in a huge dent in the ozone layer.

Solar cells, on the other hand, use something that the world has in abundance- sunlight. The sun is a great source of energy because of the simple fact that it is omnipresent. One can also not forget that solar cells virtually create no pollution, so it is an environment-friendly source of energy.

The good thing is that people have started seeing solar cells as a potential game-changer. Many big buildings have already started making use of solar panels for their heating systems. While there is a lot of work and awareness that needs to be done, the sight of the world welcoming and realizing solar energy as a potential way to create energy is a pleasant one.

(Featured Image Courtesy: Solar Panel)