Solar Panel Technology – Present vs. Future
Take a look at the calculator on your desk. Are there small, dark gray panels on the front of the calculator? If so, your calculator is most likely power-driven by light, and therefore operates with solar panel technology.
How is it possible that a little solar cell helps you with your job? The solar cell uses photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaic (PV) is a combination of two words that mean light (photo) and electricity (voltaic). These cells or modules (groups of cells) convert the light of the sun directly into electricity. Using photovoltaic cells to power, a small hand calculator might seem a little too extravagant but the solar panel technology is becoming quite common in today’s world.
PV cells convert sunlight into electricity using cells made of silicon semiconductors. The silicon soaks up some light when the sun strikes the semiconductor, transmitting the energy within the sunlight to the semiconductor.
The energy sets the electrons free, letting them flow unrestricted. The cells use electric or magnetic fields to drive these free-floating electrons into a flow pattern like a river, thereby creating a current.
Solar panel technology allows the current to be extracted by inserting metal contacts both at the top and at the bottom of the PV cell. This current is used to power something outside the cell like your calculator. Extracted current added to the cell’s voltage and gives you the total wattage (or power).
Evolution of solar panel technology may eventually see the complete disappearance of the panel itself. The latest advance is the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) technology. DSC is also known as “Grätzel Cells” because they were pioneered in 1991 by Chemist Michael Grätzel, working at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
There are different layers in the design of DSC: a photosensitive layer composed of nano-sized, ultrathin semiconductor crystals over a fine layer of titanium dioxide. When the sunlight touches the photosensitive layer, the loose electrons collect on the layer of titanium dioxide and it produces an electrical current. A dye, which is made of amorphous organic material, covers the titanium dioxide. A charge is created when the dye absorbs sunlight and attracts free-flowing electrons.
DSC has thin layers of photosensitive film. These dye films sheets, which are transparent, lightweight, flexible and low-cost, can be applied to house and car windows, and even to your sunglasses. The charge that is generated by the film can be stored on a small battery and used to power anything from your phone to your MP3 device.
The solar panel technology has advanced to include military applications for the DCS. The film can be applied to tents to power lights and laptops. It has been used in a limited fashion on backpacks; effectively making wearable solar panels, to power soldiers’ electrical devices. In time this may be able to eliminate the need for heavy, bulky battery supplies of. In larger applications, it could even power entire command centers.