To harness energy from Sun for electricity generation, special materials are needed to intercept the solar radiation and convert Photons from light to DC electric current by a phenomenon called Photovoltaic Effect.
It is a process that generates voltage or electric current in a photovoltaic cell when exposed to sunlight. These are the small rectangular blocks that you see on a solar panel. These blocks are connected in series to increase the overall voltage to form a panel
The most common material for commercial solar cell construction is Silicon (Si). Crystalline Si solar cells can be further classified into two categories—monocrystalline and polycrystalline
- Monocrystalline PV cells are comprised of a uniform or single crystal: More efficient, more difficult to produce, higher cost
- Polycrystalline cells contain different or varied crystal structures: Less efficient, easier to produce, lower cost
