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Solar Cells: by Aman Shah and Nyla Vaidya

Solar cells convert sunlight directly into electricity through the photovoltaic effect. They are constructed by laminating silicon crystals that have been doped with boron or phosphorus to create p-type and n-type layers stacked on top of each other. When light strikes the crystals, it induces the photovoltaic effect which generates electricity as electrons are excited and swept to the n-side layer while holes move to the p-side layer. There are various types of solar cells including monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and amorphous thin-film cells as well as four generations of solar cell technology.

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Nyla Vaidya
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504 views14 pages

Solar Cells: by Aman Shah and Nyla Vaidya

Solar cells convert sunlight directly into electricity through the photovoltaic effect. They are constructed by laminating silicon crystals that have been doped with boron or phosphorus to create p-type and n-type layers stacked on top of each other. When light strikes the crystals, it induces the photovoltaic effect which generates electricity as electrons are excited and swept to the n-side layer while holes move to the p-side layer. There are various types of solar cells including monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and amorphous thin-film cells as well as four generations of solar cell technology.

Uploaded by

Nyla Vaidya
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Solar Cells

By
Aman Shah and Nyla Vaidya
INDEX

1. Introduction
2. Principle of solar cells
3. Construction of Solar cells
4. Working of Solar cells
5. Generation of Solar cells
6. Photovoltaic Cell Efficiency
7. Advantages and disadvantages of solar cells
8. Applications of Solar Energy
Introduction
Solar cells, also called photovoltaic cells,
convert sunlight directly into
electricity. Photovoltaics (often shortened
as PV) gets its name from the process of
converting light (photons) to electricity (voltage),
which is called the photovoltaic effect.
• What is a Photovoltaic device ?
• The generation of voltage across the PN
junction in a semiconductor due tot the
absorption of light radiation is called
photovoltaic effect. The devices that are
based on this effect are photovoltaic devices.
Principle

1. Silicon crystals are laminated into n-type


and p-type layers, stacked on top of each
other. Light striking the crystals induces the
“photovoltaic effect,” which generates
electricity. The electricity produced is called
direct current (DC) and can be used
immediately or stored in a battery. 
Construction of solar cells
1. Silica sand is first purified using a carbon arc welding process.
2. The silicon is refined further to become almost 100% pure.
3. Silicon is doped with either boron or phosphorous to become P-type or N-type silicon.
4. The silicon is extracted into a single ingot using the Czochralski process.
5. The round ingot is diamond wire-cut into thin square wafers.
6. The wafers are coated with a thin layer of either P or N-type silicon to form the PN-junction
(photovoltaic cell).
7. The rear side Aluminium surface field or PERC layers are added.
8. Metallic fingers are screen printed on the front of the cell.
9. Anti-reflective coatings are added.
10. Flat ribbon busbars (as shown) or thin wire (MBB) busbars are added.
Construction
Working of solar cells
Working of solar cells
1. A photovoltaic cell is made of semiconductor materials that absorb the photons emitted by the
sun and generate a flow of electrons.
2. When the photons strike a semiconductor material like silicon , they release the electrons from
its atoms, leaving behind a vacant space.
3. To produce an electric current, however, the electrons need to flow in the same direction. This
is achieved using two types of silicon. The silicon layer that is exposed to the sun is doped with
atoms of phosphorus, which has one more electron than silicon, while the other side is doped
with atoms of boron , which has one less electron.

4. When the electrons are excited by the photons, they are swept to the n-side by an electric
field, while the holes drift to the p-side. The electrons and holes are directed to the electrical
contacts applied to both sides before flowing to the external circuit in the form of electrical
energy.
Types of solar cells
There are three basic types of solar cell. Monocrystalline cells are cut from a silicon ingot grown from a single large crystal of silicon
whilst polycrystalline cells are cut from an ingot made up of many smaller crystals. The third type is the amorphous or thin-film solar
cell.
1. A monocrystalline solar panel is a solar panel comprising monocrystalline solar
cells. These cells are made from a cylindrical silicon ingot grown from a single
crystal of silicon of high purity in the same way as a semiconductor.
2. Polycrystalline solar panels are also referred to as “multi-crystalline,” or many-
crystal silicon. Because there are many crystals in each cell, there is less freedom
for the electrons to move.
3. Amorphous silicon solar cells are the most well-developed thin-film solar cell.
where p-layer and n-layer are mainly used for establishing an internal electric field
(i-layer) comprising amorphous silicon.
Generations of Solar Cells
Based on different technologies and materials, the solar cells can also be grouped into 4 different
generations:

1. First generation photovoltaic cell: The cell consists of a large-area, single-crystal, single layer p-n junction diode, capable
of generating usable electrical energy from light sources with the wavelengths of sunlight.

2. Second generation photovoltaic cell: These cells are based on the use of thin epitaxial deposits of semiconductors on
lattice-matched wafers. There are two classes of epitaxial photovoltaics - space and terrestrial. Space cells typically have
higher AM0 efficiencies (28-30%) in production, but have a higher cost per watt.

3. Third-generation photovoltaics cell: They are proposed to be very different from the previous semiconductor devices as
they do not rely on a traditional p-n junction to separate photogenerated charge carriers. For space applications quantum
well devices (quantum dots, quantum ropes, etc.) and devices incorporating carbon nanotubes are being studied - with a
potential for up to 45% AM0 production efficiency.

4. Fourth Generation Photovoltaic cell: This hypothetical generation of solar cells may consist of composite photovoltaic
technology, in which polymers with nano particles can be mixed together to make a single multispectral layer.
Photovoltaic Cell Efficiency

1. Efficiency is the ratio of electrical power produced by the cell to the amount of sunlight it receives. To


measure efficiency, the cells are combined into modules, which are in turn assembled into arrays. The
electrical power produced by the system, or peak power, is a percentage of the incoming solar energy. The
maximum theoretical efficiency of a PV cell is around 33%.
 
2. In real life, the amount of electricity produced by a cell, known as its output, is based on its efficiency, the
average annual sunshine of the surrounding area and the type of installation. This means that a solar panel
 with a 15% efficiency rating will generate 150 kWh/sq.m/y in Paris and 450 kWh/sq.m/y in the Sahara.
Pros and Cons of Solar Energy
Advantages of Solar Energy Disadvantages of Solar

Energy

1. Renewable Energy Source Cost

2. Reduces Electricity Bills Weather Dependent

3. Diverse Applications Solar Energy Storage is Expensive

4. Low Maintenance Costs Uses a Lot of Space

5. Technology Development Associated with Pollution


Applications of Solar Energy
1. Solar Farms: Many acres of PV panels can provide utility-scale power—from tens of
megawatts to more than a gigawatt of electricity.
2. Remote Locations: t is not always cost-effective, convenient, or even possible to extend
power lines to locations where electricity is needed.
3. Stand-Alone Power: In urban or remote areas, PV can power stand-alone devices, tools,
and meters.
4. Power in Space: From the beginning, PV has been a primary power source for Earth-orbiting
satellites.
5. Building-Related Needs: In buildings, PV panels mounted on roofs or ground can supply
electricity.
6. Military Uses: Lightweight, flexible thin-film PV can serve applications in which portability or
ruggedness are critical.
7. Transportation: PV can provide auxiliary power for vehicles such as cars and boats.
Automobile sunroofs can include PV for onboard power needs or trickle-charging batteries.
References

1. https://global.kyocera.com/prdct/solar/spirit/about_solar/cell.html#:~:text=Science%20Behind%20the%20Solar%20Cell,-Converting%20Sunlight%20Into
&text=Silicon%20crystals%20are%20laminated%20into,or%20stored%20in%20a%20battery
.
2. https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/2014/12/how-are-solar-panels-made
3. https://www.planete-energies.com/en/medias/close/how-does-photovoltaic-cell-work#:~:text=A%20photovoltaic%20cell%20is%20made,generate%20a%2
0flow%20of%20electrons.&text=When%20the%20photons%20strike%20a,leaving%20behind%20a%20vacant%20space
.
4. https://www.iitk.ac.in/ispst/?page=solar_cells
5. https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/2014/08/5-advantages-and-5-disadvantages-of-solar-energy#renewable-energy

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