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Peter_North		 How does solar cell convert sunlight into electricity? View All


17 years ago - 2 weeks left to answer. - 2 responses - Report Abuse
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Gimpy
 Okay, here's a basic synopsis for you.

Solar cells ese photovoltaics to convert sunlight directly into electricity by converting photons (light particles) into electrons (negatively charged particles). Photovoltaic cells are made of semiconductors and silicon, mixed with other material.

In Short, when the sun hits a PV cell it causes the atoms to release their electrons in a way that produces a direct current (DC) similar to the energy from batteries. For a more detailed account, check out the page right here on ENGINEERING.com.

http://engineering.com/SustainableEngineering/RenewableEnergyEngineering/SolarEnergyEngineering/Photovoltaics/tabid/3890/Default.aspx

17 years ago

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Dupree
 Essentially, light hits a solar cell and the energy in the sunlight's photon are converted through metals and semiconductors into electricity and heat.

17 years ago

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