Solar Panels for Electricity Generation

When certain solids come into contact with the light it sets negative and positive charges free within
them which in turn creates electrical activity i.e., electric current in them. The famous scientist,
Albert Einstein received the Nobel prize in physics for analyzing this phenomenon which came to be
known as 'the Photoelectric Effect'. The following section explains, in brief, how this phenomenon is
implemented in the form of photovoltaic cells (solar cells) for electricity generation. It is estimated
that 20-30% of energy in every household is used to heat water. If it is coming from electricity or by
burning fossil fuels then it better be generated by using solar panels. These panels, once installed,
can last up to 25 years and there is almost no expenditure in maintaining them.
Solar Panels are Made With...

A typical solar panel for generation of electricity contains 36 solar cells of different sizes, depending
on the wattage or amperage of the panel. A strong aluminum panel serves as a rest for the solar
panels and is mounted in a tough frame. The yield of the electricity depends on the type of material
that goes in making the solar cells. Monocrystalline or polycrystalline solar cells are used to make
rigid solar panels.
Monocrystalline or Polycrystalline Solar Cells

Monocrystalline solar cells are made of 1 millimeter thick wafers of silicon that has been grown from
a single silicon crystal. The yield of electricity from the solar panel made using these efficient solar
cells is more than polycrystalline solar cells.
Thin wafers of multifaceted silicon crystals are used to make polycrystalline cells. These are less
efficient than monocrystalline ones. However, polycrystalline solar cells used in rigid solar panels
are cheaper than monocrystalline solar cells.
How Does a Solar Panel Make Electricity

Solar cells make use of the photoelectric effect for the production of electricity. Pure crystalline
silicon is not a good conductor of electricity. Its electrons are not free to move about and carry an
electrical charge. So atoms of other elements are added to 99.999% pure silicon. Elements such as
boron, when added to silicon, turns it into the P-type silicon, which readily accepts electrons. On the
other hand, elements such as phosphorus when added to silicon, convert it to the N-type silicon,
which readily supplies electrons.
Solar cells, which are also known as photovoltaic cells, are made using a P-type silicon layer, a Ntype silicon layer and a transparent and electrically conductive layer. It also has metal contact layer
and a P-N junction. When sunlight falls on both the silicon layers of the solar cell, electrons and
positive charges (protons) get excited and start moving within the layers (where N-type gives and Ptype receives). This flow of electrons is known as electric current. These moving charges are then

channelized through the electrical contacts laid on the solar cells to the junction box and emerge as
direct current (DC) which can be used to charge batteries. The DC is fed to an inverter which
converts it to alternating current that can be used to power electrical equipment.
Solar Panel's Efficiency

In the northern hemisphere, solar panels must face south and those in the southern hemisphere,
must face north to take the maximum advantage of the available sunlight. The electricity production
is measured in the units of kilowatts, wherein one kilowatt is equal to 1,000 watts. On a clear day,
the solar energy (sunlight) hitting 1 square meter of the earth's surface, has the potential of
producing 1,000 watts of electricity. The efficiency of solar panels ranges from 5-18 percent and
mainly, depends on the type of solar cells used in it. Under laboratory conditions, multi-junction
solar cells have achieved 40% of efficiency. The intensity of sunlight, cloud cover, rain and snow are
major factors, that can affect a solar panel's electricity production.
Advances in Solar Cells Technology
Thin-film Solar Panels

They are made by laying a layer of silicon on either side of thin and transparent sheets of various
materials. The sheet is layered with solar cells of P-type silicon on one side and the corresponding Ntype silicon layer on the other side. The sheet is arranged in such a way that the sunlight falling on it
passes through the N-type silicon layer, transparent sheet and then it reaches the P-type silicon
layer. This excites electrons and protons, and generates electrical activity which creates an
electrical field around the middle sheet. Electric current starts flowing through the sheet which is
electrically conductive. Solar panels made using this technology are light and easy to handle. The
method used to make these solar cells is inexpensive and does not waste precious silicon while
making them. Amorphous silicon is used to manufacture these solar cells.
Solar Cells Made with Carbon Nanotubes

Scientists at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) have developed a technology to make solar
cells using carbon nanotubes that can be painted or printed on flexible plastic sheets. They believe
that the walls or roofs of houses painted with these inexpensive solar cells can be used as solar
panels to produce electricity which then can be stored in the rechargeable batteries for one's
personal use.
Solar Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) Devices

Scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a new approach to

generate electricity from the Sun's energy. Thermophotovoltaics (TPV) are solid-state devices that
employ two layers to convert radiant heat from the source such as the Sun. Mirrors are used to
collect and concentrate sunlight on the top layer of TPVs. The top layer consists of photonic crystals

which are designed to prevent the absorbed energy from escaping into the atmosphere, however it
allows it to escape to the (photovoltaic) layer underneath. The trapped heat is emitted as light of
wavelength most suitable for photovoltaic conversion. Solar TPV devices are efficient than the
traditional photovoltaic solar cells and are claimed to convert as much as 36 percent of incident
solar energy into electricity. Though these devices are a recent development and not yet massproduced or in commercial use, they represent a mighty achievement in use of solar energy.
Additional Facts Related to Photovoltaic Power Generation
Germany is the leader in the solar panel based electricity production.
Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS), the biggest solar power farm in the world, is installed in
the United States. It consists of 9 solar power plants, erected in California's Mojave Desert and has
combined capacity of generating 354 Megawatts of electricity.
Blythe Solar Power Project is another farm, under construction, in California, at Riverside County
which is expected to produce 968 megawatts of electricity.
There is a huge demand for solar panels in Asian countries due the abundance of sunlight.
Some of the governments are offering to buy the electricity produced using the solar panels. The
German government is paying as high as 4 times the normal rates to buy this type of electricity.
Commercial Use of Solar Panels for Generating ElectricityList of Photovoltaic Power Stations
Plant
Place
Installed Capacity
Golmud Solar Project
Qinghai Province, China
200 MW
Montalto di Castro Photovoltaic Power Station
Montalto di Castro, Viterbo, Italy
84.2 MW
Finsterwalde Solar Park
Finsterwalde, Germany
80.7 MW
Ohotnikovo Solar Park

Okhotnykovo, Crimea, Ukraine

80 MW
Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant
Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
80 MW
Solarpark Senftenberg, Germany
Senftenberg, Brandenburg, Germany
78 MW
Lieberose Photovoltaic Park
Lieberose, Brandenburg, Germany
71.8 MW
Rovigo Photovoltaic Power Plant
Rovigo, Italy
70 MW
Le Gabardan Solar Park
Gabardan, France
67.2 MW
Sault Ste Marie Solar Park
Sault Ste Marie Solar Park, Canada

60 MW
Perovo Solar Park
Perovo, Ukraine
60 MW
Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park, Spain
Olmedilla de Alarcn, Spain
60 MW
Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park
La Mancha, Spain
60 MW
Strasskirchen Solar Park
Strakirchen, Germany
54 MW
Strasskirchen Solar Park, Germany
Bavaria, Germany
54 MW
Lieberose Photovoltaic Park
Brandenburg, Germany
53 MW
Tutow Solar Park, Germany
Tutow, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany
52 MW
Copper Mountain Solar Facility
Boulder City, Nevada, USA
48 MW
Puertollano Photovoltaic Park

Castila-La Mancha, Spain

48 MW
Moura Photovoltaic Power Station
Amareleja, Portugal
46 MW
Once solar energy was a hi-tech field. The space vehicle Vanguard-1, launched on March 17, 1958,
was the first to utilize the solar panels. Now, scientists are experimenting with consumer vehicles.
They are trying to convert roofs of these vehicles in solar panels, by painting them with solar cells
made with the carbon nanotubes. The whole world is gearing to convert as much of safe and free
solar energy into the electricity as possible.
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