The silicon solar cell has been around for more than half a century, and in that time it has made significant steps in terms of efficiency. Bell Labs released the first silicon solar cell on April 25, 1954. This solar cell was able to convert about 6% of the solar energy it collected to electricity.
This was a major improvement over the selenium solar cell, which had been the standard ahead of the introduction of the silicon solar cell. Selenium solar cells only converted around 0.5% of the sun’s energy.
Most research on solar cells since that time has focused primarily on improving efficiency and reducing manufacturing costs. Cells with as much as 40% efficiency have been created using rare materials. However, using such materials substantially increases the cost of producing cells; these high-performance cells can cost over 100 times as much as ordinary 8% efficient cells to produce. In order to encourage the use of solar power, reducing production cost might be an even more important goal than improving efficiency.
The total amount of power provided by the sun under ideal conditions is about 1,000 watts per square meter. This figure is the standard for defining the output of a specific solar cell. Sunlight intensity can be affected by things like dust, pollution, elevation, and weather. Sunlight intensity can even be reduced on a worldwide scale and over extended periods of time due to events such as volcanic eruptions. Elevation has an effect on solar cell efficiency in that higher elevation actually leads to greater efficiency. This is because, as elevation gets higher, the air gets thinner, and the effects of dust and pollution are reduced.
Currently, multicrystalline solar cells produce at approximately 14-19% efficiency. However, as mature technology, this kind of cell is thought to be near its maximum in terms of output capability. Amorphous silicon cells, on the other hand, although presently around 8% efficient, are generally thought to be the next big thing in solar cell technology.
Even without any huge improvements in solar cell efficiency, the goal of replacing fossil fuel-based energy production with solar power isn’t unthinkable. To supply all of the electricity currently produced in the US, it would take a little more than 10,000 square miles of solar panels. Even now, there is enough unused desert in the US to accomplish this purpose.
Solar power also requires power storage in order to work in an acceptable way, as a source of power that can be used at night is also necessary. This requirement is usually satisfied through the use of batteries. Even during the day, when solar panels are generating electricity, batteries can help with the task of meeting increased demand, at times when many people are using their air conditioners.
Since they were first introduced, solar cells have improved substantially in terms of efficiency, from 0.5% to as high as 40%. Although the efficiency of mass-production solar cells is not expected to improve significantly in the short term, solar cell prices continue to decrease.
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If you are interested in building your own solar panel, check out these step-by-step guides Build Solar Panel and GreenDIY Energy Review.