Solar cells are quickly becoming one of the leading energy suppliers of the modern world. Concept cars are seen with a solar roof, cities in Europe are discussing making solar roofs for new buildings mandatory and sci-fi utopia feels just one step closer. But how do they work?
A solar cell consists of a layer of p-type silicon (usually silicon altered with boron to create a layer with a lack of electrons) placed next to a layer of n-type silicon (altered to create an excess of electrons).
For this, we'll be looking at light as a photon. If a photon bumps into an electron, this electron temporarily gets more energy (think of it like your coffee or red bull) and becomes 'mobile'. This results in the formation of vacancies left behind by the escaping electrons. If this happens in an electric field, the field will move electrons to the n-type layer and holes to the p-type layer.
If you connect the layers with a metallic wire and form a circuit, the electrons will travel from the n-type layer to the p-type layer by going through the wire back of the n-type layer, creating a flow of electricity. Normally, the conducting material is printed directly onto the cell in lines.
Sources: ACS, Fraunhofer, Britannica, smp-energy
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Comments (2)
Simple but structured, what a great post.
Thanks for making it
Thank you for reading