A silicon solar cell is a photovoltaic cell made of silicon semiconductor material. It is the most common type of solar cell available in the market. The silicon solar cells are combined and confined in a solar panel to absorb energy from the sunlight and convert it into electrical energy.
The basic component of a solar cell is pure silicon, which has been used as an electrical component for decades. Silicon solar panel s are often referred to as ‘1 st generation’ panels, as the silicon solar cell technology gained ground already in the 1950s. Currently, over 90% of the current solar cell market is based on silicon.
Silicon solar panel s are often referred to as ‘1 st generation’ panels, as the silicon solar cell technology gained ground already in the 1950s. Currently, over 90% of the current solar cell market is based on silicon. Pure crystalline silicon is a poor conductor of electricity as it is a semiconductor material at its core.
Silicon now accounts for more than 90% of the solar cell industry. Silicon is a cost-effective material with high energy efficiency. That is why it is frequently employed as a semiconductor material in first solar cells. Aside from that, it possesses strong photoconductivity, corrosion resistance, and long-term durability.
As researchers keep developing photovoltaic cells, the world will have newer and better solar cells. Most solar cells can be divided into three different types: crystalline silicon solar cells, thin-film solar cells, and third-generation solar cells. The crystalline silicon solar cell is first-generation technology and entered the world in 1954.
An ideal solar cell has a direct band gap of 1.4 eV to absorb the maximum number of photons from the sun's radiation. Silicon solar cells, however, have an indirect band gap of 1.1 eV. With the world craving a new source of energy besides fossil fuels, silicon solar cells will play a much larger role in the future.