Solar energy has been hailed for decades as one of the best alternative sources of renewable energy. It is an unlimited source of power and it can easily provide energy for everyone on Earth without the resulting pollution or byproducts left behind by fossil fuels and other current energy sources.
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The solar cell, based on the photovoltaic effect explained by Albert Einstein is how we can exploit the energy, but the problem has long been how to build solar cell that is energy efficient, cost effective and small enough to supply power on a large scale.
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At present solar power cells are expensive, but research is being conducted in various laboratories around the world to discover how to build a solar cell that is efficient and inexpensive, thus making it available for general use. One method found has been to change the materials the solar panel cells are made of.
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Usually when you build solar cell, you use silicon as a semiconductor. Two layers of silicon are used to catch the energy released by photons and this energy causes the electricity to flow. This is one of the factors that make the solar cell expensive. Other materials such as nickel, however, can work as well and is less expensive.
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Another alternative being explored to build a solar cell is targeting infrared light instead of visible light. At present this technology is still being developed in order to make it more efficient, but it would solve the problem that solar cells are useless at night. In fact, if it becomes possible to build a solar cell that has both capacities, it could provide power around the clock without interruption.
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Using organic electronics to build solar cell has also proven promising, with the only problems being a lack of efficiency when compared to regular solar cells and low stability. They can be made cheap solar cells though.
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An alternative to this is to build the solar cell as a hybrid, combining both organic and inorganic materials. This produces a promising solar cell that is more stable and produces a more efficient energy curve.
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Another type of hybrid cell that helps improve efficiency is the photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar cell. Since a byproduct of the photovoltaic reaction is heat, this causes resistance within the cell and reduces efficiency. If you build solar cell designed to carry the heat away and cool the cells, however, you can increase energy output.
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The ultraviolet solar cell takes in and uses UV light and allows visible light to pass through it. These transparent cells can be made large enough to replace windows, offering the possibility to provide power yet allow for lighting and temperature control within a building. If we can build solar cell with multiple purposes like this cheaply the uses would far outweigh that cost.
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The quest to build solar cell that is economical is ongoing. In time the technology will exist that makes them inexpensive, flexible in use, and adaptable for everything from home use to business and scientific applications. And this will help reduce the amount of pollution and waste in our environment.
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Best regards,
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The Build Solar Team
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P.S Interested in other Solar articles? Why not check out our Broken Solar Cells article?
