Photovoltaics And Their Part In The Advancement Of Solar Power

Solar energy is one of the most abundant forms of renewable energy available to the world. Photovoltaic cells are used to convert the energy from the sun into electric power. This is done by a process called the photovoltaic effect. Continue reading and learn about photovoltaics and their role in the future of renewable energy.

You can characterize solar technology by how it can be captured. It is captured in one of two ways, either passively without the use of any electrical or mechanical device like a solarium. It is also captured actively which would use some type of electrical or mechanical equipment for assistance. A photovoltaic cell can be used either way.

The photovoltaic effect is the process that actually uses the photovoltaic cell. The cell is the material subjected to electromagnetic radiation and this creates voltage. The first to notice this process was Alexandre-Edmond Bechquerel in 1839.

The amount of energy that the sun provides in one year actually doubles the amount of non-renewable resources put together on the earth that are available. Depending on where a country is located, the levels of solar energy collection can be different. More solar energy can be collected the nearer to the equator one is located.

Spacecraft and orbiting satellites were the first to use the photovoltaic cell. The cells are now used for many things including power. A cell module or a solar cell can produce a direct current, and to be used for residential and commercial use, it then needs to be converted to alternating current.

Photovoltaic cells or solar panels were expensive to install, but now, with new government incentive programs from various governments worldwide things have changed. Use of solar energy is being widely encouraged. The most recent events have shown that we need to be using solar power now more than we ever have before. Solar panels have also decreased in price just over a period of time in the past few years.

When the public was first able to view photovoltaic cells, it was in the form of the solar calculator and other small gadgets. Roadway lighting systems are now being tested in different parts of the United States. They can now be seen in different devices like parking meters and street lamps. Across the world, there are several power stations using solar power. The need for photovoltaic cells is growing with the ever increasing need for renewable energy.