Solar Energy

The Solar energy is very abundant in this world, so that we can use this energy to alternative energy that we can apply in our lives, but we must use a device that can capture energy efficiently. You do not worry, because today we've found a tool that solar cells or photovoltaic cells.

Solar cells is a semiconductor device having a pn-junction diode section Which one can convert sunlight into electrical energy by a process known as the photovoltaic effect.
Solar cells in a solar panel is extremely efficient when used on a spot or remote areas who do not have electricity from power companies and the electronic device can also be used to save on electricity consumption.

supply of energy from solar received by the Earth's surface is actually very unusual magnitude that is approximately 3 x 1024 joules per year. Amount of energy is equivalent to 10,000 times the energy consumption in the world today. In other words, by covering only 0.1% of the earth with solar cell devices that have an efficiency of 10% have been able to cover the energy needs around the world today. The rapid development of industrial solar cells (solar cells) which in 2004 has touched 1000 MW, many commentators increasingly glancing future energy sources are very promising.

How solar cells work is to exploit the theory of light as a particle. As we know that both visible light and invisible has two properties which can be as a wave and as a particle called a photon. 

To date, there are several types of solar cells have been developed by researchers to obtain solar cell devices that have a high efficiency or solar cells for devices are cheap and easy to manufacture.

The first type is successfully developed by the researchers is the type wafer (coated) single crystal silicon. This type is in development capable of producing a very high efficiency. The biggest problem faced in the development of single crystal silicon to be produced commercially is a very high price so as to make the resulting solar cell panels become inefficient as an alternative energy source.

The second type of solar cell is a type of poly crystalline silicon wafers. Currently, most solar panel cells circulating in the commercial market from screen printing this type poly silicon crystal. Poly crystalline silicon wafers are made in a way to make thin layers of silicon rods with wire-sawing method. Each layer has a thickness of about 250 350 micrometer. Types of solar cells of this type have the making of a cheaper price even though the level of efficiency is lower when compared to the single crystal silicon. Companies that actively producing this type of solar cell is GT Solar, BP, Sharp, and Kyocera Solar.

The second generation solar cell is a thin layer solar cell type (thin film). The idea of ​​making thin film type solar cells is to reduce the cost of manufacturing solar cells considering this type only uses less than 1% of the raw materials compared to silicon feedstock for silicon wafer type. With its high savings in raw materials as it makes the price per KwH of energy to be generated can be cheaper.

Current highest efficiency that can be generated by this type of thin film solar cells of 19.5% was derived from CIGS solar cells. Another advantage of using a type of semiconductor thin film is a layer of solar cells can be deposited on a flexible substrate to produce flexible solar cell devices. Second generation of solar cells still dominate the market of solar cells worldwide with single-and multi-crystalline silicon crystal has more than 84% of solar cells in the market.