Solar Cells (also known as photovoltaic cells) convert the suns energy into electricity. To do this they make use of the “photovoltaic effect”. Todays applications of solar cells cover a broad spectrum from powering small devices like calculators to powering whole areas, e.g. if conventional energy is not available due to the remote position. Examples would be remote islands or even satellites. Solar Energy is increasingly deployed in grid-tied electrical systems.

Solar cells are made of semiconductors, e.g. silicon, which is currently used. When light strikes the cell, it is absorbed within the semiconductor. The energy of the absorbed light is transferred to the semiconductor, where it knocks electrons loose, allowing them to flow freely.

Solarcells also all have one or more electric fields that force electrons freed by light to flow in a defined direction. This flow is a current, and by placing metal contacts on the top and bottom of the solar cell, that current can be drawn off to be used externally. This current, together with the cell’s voltage, defines the power that the solar cell can produce.