The hype over solar energy has been going around
for decades, and technologies that use them, like calculators, solar cars, and
solar lamps, are now a common thing. The dream is to someday harness all the
energy that the sun radiates to the Earth to lessen demands for electricity;
but for now, powering individual devices would do.
Solar cells are used for many things, but not a lot
of people truly understand how sunlight is converted into electricity. The
answer to that question lies within that small box of black panels you see on
your calculators.
Solar cells, which are also called photovoltaic
(photo means light and voltaic means electricity) cells, directly convert light
into electricity by using semiconductors like silicone. When light enters the
panels and hits the cells, the semiconductors knock off a few portions of light
and absorb the rest. The absorbed portion is turned into energy and is then to
a free flowing electricity by knocking off a few electrons.
When the electricity starts flowing, it is guided
by an electric field produced by the solar cells. This current is than tapped
by metal contacts that guide the electricity to power a particular device.
For devices that demand a lot more power, a battery
may be installed in the system to hold the power provided by the solar cells.
An inverter that would regulate or convert the energy may also be used.
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