Solar Photovoltaic

As technology continues to advance, not only do we welcome new inventions based upon new discoveries, but we also dig up past inventions and improve upon them. This is especially true in the domain of energy creation.

Many people think the field of solar photovoltaic energy is a new phenomenon, but it is not.

The word photovoltaic can be split up in to two parts - photo and voltaic. The word photo is derived from the Greek word "phos" meaning "light". A volt is a measurement unit for electrical force. The literal meaning of photovoltaic is "electricity through light". This is exactly what the solar photovoltaic process does - converts sunlight into electricity.

How exactly does this happen? Well, in order to convert sunlight into electricity you need to use something called a "semiconductor". A semiconductor is a material that acts as an insulator but also conducts electricity under certain conditions. When a semiconductor such as silicon is exposed to sunlight it releases electrical energy when electrons leave the surface of the semiconductor as a result of being hit by light. This is called the "photoelectric effect", first analyzed by Einstein.

Sunlight is made up of particles of solar energy called photons.

When a photon hits a solar photovoltaic cell, one of three things occurs; the photon can be absorbed by the photovoltaic cell, the photon can be reflected by the photovoltaic cell, or, amazingly, the photon can pass right through the photovoltaic cell. However, only those photons which are absorbed by the solar photovoltaic cell can be converted into electricity.

The principles used to convert the sun's energy into a usable form comprise the field known as solar photovoltaic technology. It is a field that has been around and studied for a very long time. Now more than ever, however, we are coming to realize the great extent to which we can utilize this technology for not only human convenience but for the health and longevity of our tiny blue planet.