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Introductio
n
• Photovoltaics are best known as a method
for generating electric power by using solar
cells to convert energy from the sun into a
flow of electrons by the photovoltaic effect.
• Solar cells produce direct current electricity
from sunlight which can be used to power
equipment or to recharge a battery.

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 What is photovoltaic
effect?
The photovoltaic effect is the creation of
voltage and electric current in a material
upon exposure to light.
The photovoltaic effect is closely related to
the photoelectric effect.

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• Photovoltaic system employs solar panels.
• Each comprising a number of solar cells,
which generate electrical power (DC).

SOLAR SOLAR ELECTRIC

ENERG PANNE AL
Y L ENERGY

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 Puzzle
s
• If a giraffe has two eyes, a monkey has
two eyes, and an elephant has two eyes,
how many eyes do we have?
• You have 10 coins….arrange them in 4
straight lines such that each line contains 4
coins.

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Resul
t

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 PV
installations
• Ground-mounted
• Rooftop mounted
• Wall mounted
The mount may be fixed, or use a solar tracker to
follow the sun across the sky

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Installed photovoltaic capacity
through 2016

Source: IEA-PVPS 2016 Snapshot of

global Photovoltaic markets, April 2017

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 Advantages as an energy
• source
No pollution
• Its green renewable energy
• Require little maintenance
• Consumes little or no water
• No greenhouse gas emissions
• PV panels are silent producers of power
• Stabilize the cost of electricity generation
• Reduces the dependence on energy imports
• Solar energy is unlimited, is available
worldwide
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 Disadvantage of solar
energy
• Intermittency issues
• Unpredictability
• Solar energy panels require
additional equipment
• They are fragile and can be
damaged
• Low efficiency
• They require relatively large areas
for deployment. 11
 Working of a Solar
• Cell
Photovoltaics : Direct conversion of light into
electricity at the atomic level.
• Some materials exhibit a property known as the
photoelectric effect that causes them to absorb
photons of light and release electrons.
• When these free electrons are captured,
electric current results that can be an
used electricity as
• Solar cells are made of the same kinds of
semiconductor materials, such as silicon, used in
the microelectronics industry.
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Working of a Solar
Cell

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 Working of a Solar
• Cell
For solar cells, a thin semiconductor wafer is
specially treated to form an electric field, positive
on one side and negative on the other.
• When light energy strikes the solar cell, electrons
are knocked loose from the atoms in the
semiconductor material.
• If electrical conductors are attached to the
positive and negative sides, forming an electrical
circuit, the electrons can be captured in the form
of an electric current -- that is, electricity.
• This electricity can then be used to power a load,
such as a light or a tool.

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 Allusio
n
• http://www.electrical-
installation.org/enwiki/Trends_and_benefits_

of_photovoltaic_energy
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaics
• https://www.nwwindandsolar.com/solar- po
wer-in-seattle-and-the-northwest/how-do-
solar-systems-produce-energy/
• http://www.iea-pvps.org/
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