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sunlight

Silicon is commonly used to make solar cells due to its special chemical properties. A silicon atom has 14 electrons that are arranged in three different shells.

solar cell

The first two shells which have two and eight electrons each are completely full. However, the outer shell is only half full as it only has four electrons. Thus a silicon atom is always on a look out for ways to fill up its last shell.

In order to do this, it will have to share electrons with four nearby atoms to gain stability. It is just as if each atom has joined four hands to four neighbors. This is what forms the crystalline structure, leading to the formation of a PV cell.

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Function of Photovoltaic Cells

by noorMarch 11, 2010

We have all seen calculators with solar cells, that enable the device to work without any batteries, and can be used for unlimited time period as long as there’s enough light.

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Solar Towers- Get Power In the Dark

by JessyJanuary 11, 2010

Its worth mentioning that the solar power towers are still at an early stage, even though a few have already been dotted around the globe, their maximum 20-MW capacity are no match for the colossal powers of the prospective power plants.

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How to Build a Solar AAA Battery Charger

by Q. AB.January 11, 2010

Solar cells or photovoltaic semiconductors are the most easy and cheap way to charge small batteries. Making a solar battery charger is inexpensive and provides savings in the future from the cost of new batteries.

Here are some simple steps for building a solar charger:
Step 1
For charging a AAA battery it’s necessary that solar panel must [...]

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How We Can Use Solar Power?

by Q. AB.January 9, 2010

Active solar heating main purpose is to use the solar cells to collect and absorb solar radiation. The radiation is converted into heat by solar cells and then its transferred to the interior of the building. Active solar heating works in two ways.

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How to Determine Solar Home Needs

by Q. AB.January 8, 2010

Converting a regular home into a solar home you needs to determine that what are the electrical demands of the house and deciding how much will be met by proposed solar power system and then draw a plan for a solar power system to meet the needs. For making a solar home requires a little research and some math.

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Anatomy of a Solar Cell

by Q. AB.January 5, 2010

Silicon is electrically neutral and on that the extra protons in the phosphorus balance out electrons, the missing protons in the boron balance out the missing electrons holes. That neutrality is disrupted when the holes and electrons mix at the junction between N-type and P-type silicon. This electric field works as a diode, which allow electrons to flow from the P side to the N side, but not to other way around. Its function is just like a hill that electrons can easily go down the hill (to the N side), but cant climbs it (to the P side).A PV cell absorb sunlight at most 25% but usually that’s 15% or less.

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Why Is Solar Energy Important?

by noorJanuary 3, 2010

Solar energy is extremely important for us to survive. Besides helping us to stay warm, and enabling other organisms to survive, it is used in the commercial power production as well.

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Glitter-Sized Solar Cells For Electricity-Producing Clothes

by noorDecember 27, 2009

The Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM is working towards developing microscopic solar cells, that have the potential to utilize solar power in a unique way.

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Personalized Solar Energy is the Solution to the Future Needs

by noorDecember 20, 2009

A scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has declared that new discoveries are underway to move the society toward the era of “personalized solar energy.”

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Chemists Describe Solar Energy Progress And Challenges, Including The ‘Artificial Leaf’

by noorNovember 26, 2009

According to recent reports, scientists are working together progressively to develop an “artificial leaf” that imitates the working of a real leaf, i.e. the chemical magic done through photosynthesis.

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