The energy is the natural resource that, through the application of technology , can be exploited industrially. The term also refers to the ability to transform or put something into motion.
Photovoltaic solar energy has become one of the renewable, clean and environmentally friendly sources, but you know what solar photovoltaic energy is?
Continue reading and we tell you in a simple and synthetic way
What is photovoltaic energy?
It is known as photovoltaic energy , then, to the type of electricity ( electrical energy) that is obtained directly from the sun’s rays thanks to the quantum photo-detection of a device.
Photovoltaic energy can produce electricity for distribution networks, supply isolated homes and feed all kinds of appliances.
Photovoltaic energy is the direct transformation of solar radiation into electricity . This transformation occurs in devices called solar photovoltaic panels .
In photovoltaic panels, solar radiation excites the electrons of a semiconductor device generating a small potential difference. The series connection of these devices allows to obtain greater potential differences.
Although the photovoltaic effect was known since the nineteenth century, it was in the 50s, in full space race , when the photovoltaic panels began to experience an important development. Initially used to supply electricity to geostationary communications satellites, they are now a renewable generation technology .
One of the main virtues of photovoltaic technology is its modular aspect , being able to build from huge photovoltaic plants in soil to small panels for roofs.
These devices are called photovoltaic cells when they have a semiconducting metal sheet, or thin film if they have metals located on a substrate. Photovoltaic cells can be divided into monocrystalline (with a single crystal of silicon), polycrystalline (composed of multiple crystallized particles) or amorphous (if the silicon has not crystallized).
The union of several of these cells is known as a photovoltaic module . These modules provide continuous electrical current that can be transformed into alternating current through a device called an inverter. Thus, the electric current produced by the photovoltaic modules can be injected into the electrical network.
The main manufacturer of photovoltaic panels in the world is Japan , followed by Germany . It is important to note that the growth of photovoltaic installations is limited by the lack of raw material (quality silicon) in the market , although the situation tends to be reversed.