Are solar photovoltaic panels sensitive to light

What happens when light shines on a photovoltaic cell?

When light shines on a photovoltaic (PV) cell – also called a solar cell – that light may be reflected, absorbed, or pass right through the cell. The PV cell is composed of semiconductor material; the “semi” means that it can conduct electricity better than an insulator but not as well as a good conductor like a metal.

Why do photovoltaic cells respond better to light?

The shorter the wavelength of incident light, the higher the frequency of the light and the more energy possessed by ejected electrons. In the same way, photovoltaic cells are sensitive to wavelength and respond better to sunlight in some parts of the spectrum than others.

Why do solar cells depend on a photovoltaic effect?

Solar cells depend on a phenomenon known as the photovoltaic effect, discovered by French physicist Alexandre Edmond Becquerel (1820-1891). It is related to the photoelectric effect, a phenomenon by which electrons are ejected from a conducting material when light shines on it.

How does a photovoltaic panel produce electricity?

In a photovoltaic panel, electrical energy is obtained by photovoltaic effect from elementary structures called photovoltaic cells; each cell is a PN-junction semiconductor diode constructed so that the junction is exposed to light and unpolarized.

What factors affect solar cell efficiency?

In short, PV cells are sensitive to light from the entire spectrum as long as the wavelength is above the band gap of the material used for the cell, but extremely short wavelength light is wasted. This is one of the factors that affects solar cell efficiency. Another is the thickness of the semiconducting material.

Why are solar cells so efficient?

This issue is important for the efficiency of solar cells, that is, the efficiency of converting light energy into electricity; in fact, light whose wavelength is too short is lost because it cannot free electrons, while light whose photons are too energized gives up too much energy and electrons escape. (Again, only heat is produced.)