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Solar Energy Conversion is a quantomechanical process in which sunlight is converted from kinetic to
electrical energy. The main components of this process include energy from the sun in the form of
sunlight and a solar cell system. Sounds simple right? Well despite the components of this process being
very simple, how these components interact to allow this process to occur is quite extensive and is the key
to producing energy from the sun.
Why is it important?
As the world’s population continues to grow exponentially it is vital for both the sustainability of the
planet as well as the stability of the people and nations that inhabit it to be contentious of the waste that
human beings produce. That said one of the most critical methods of ensuring humanity doesn’t
overproduce waste is through conservation of energy. This is perhaps most notable through the efforts in
renewable energy systems such as solar cells. The combination of understanding the need for renewable
energy as well as the vitality to preserve the balance of the Earth’s natural ecosystems is why
understanding systems like solar cells is so significant.
These unit cells are the atomistic representation of how the atoms of
these semiconductor elements bond with one another to form the larger bulk material. When one
atom of a block of the material is replaced with another element’s atom that has one valence
electron less than the atom it replaces, a p type semiconductor material is created. When one
atom of a block is replaced with an atom of an element that has one valence electron more than
the atom it has replaced in the unit cell an n type semiconductor material is created. The
combination of placing n type and p type semiconductor materials over one another is how a
basic solar cell is formed. These combinations of semiconductor materials overlaid with a light
conducting glass and protective coating are what consist of a functional unit of a solar cell
system. When these functional units are drawn out over many columns and rows on a flat
supporting surface and are connected with conductive wiring, a functional solar cell system is
formed. Solar Cell
Step 3: Light hits the Solar Cell Solar Cell System
The process of converting sunlight into electrical energy
from a solar cell system can be broken down into six Solar Array
critical steps. First solar radiation in the form of traveling
light of a discrete energy must fall incident upon the solar
cell. Then this light must enter the solar cell with enough
energy to penetrate the material or overcome the material’s
band gap energy parameter.
Glossary
Quantomechanical – A physical interaction occurring on the atomistic level.
Solar radiation – an electromagnetic wave of intense heat and energy.
Atoms – The most basic unit that makes up matter.
Plasma – A high temperature collection of gaseous ions of equal numbers half positive and
negative.
Nuclear fusion – The process by which two atoms collide, their nuclei combine to produce a
new element consisting of a nucleus of a higher number of protons and neutrons and
extreme heat and energy are released.
Thermal emissions – sudden release of hot atoms as a result of collisions.
Photons – subatomic particles that make up light.
Electromagnetic radiation – A broad physical phenomenon that encompasses all light.
Crystalline compounds – A three-dimensional arrangement of atoms of two or more
elements that represents their bonding lattice structure.
p type semiconductor – A semiconductor material that lacks an excess of a valence electron
from its atoms.
n type semiconductor – A semiconductor material that has an excess of a valence electron
from its atoms.
Band gap energy parameter – The energy difference between an Semiconductor material
atom’s highest band energy, the conduction band and the lowest band energy, the valence
band.
Electron hole pair – A quantomechanical phenomenon in which the absence of an electron
(a hole) and the presence of an electron are tied together for a short period in space and
time.
Contacts of the solar cell – Conductive metal insertions into a solar cell system that allow
freed electrons to be collected.
DC to AC inverter – An electrical device that takes an input voltage of a constant signal and
transforms it into a sinusoidal, varying signal. (Which is how the energy in the grid runs)
Current – The flow of electrons.
Electrical energy – The potential buildup of energy due to the storage of electricity.
4
References
Figure.1
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiKiuqJ7
53eAhUDhOAKHfCMB5sQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Frampages.us%2Fabadkea%2F201
6%2F05%2F03%2Fnuclear-chemistry%2F&psig=AOvVaw10-
fvBmD78aht_vMr39KKl&ust=1540428902067431
Figure. 2
https://www.pveducation.org/pvcdrom/semiconductor-materials
Figure.3
http://www.truthistreason.net/how-do-solar-panels-work