Photovoltaic Cells
By Brion, Rosey, Gabe, and Kayla
Development of The Technology
It was produced in the late 1950's. In 1960 they were used to provide electrical power for Earth-orbiting satellites. In the 1970's the improvement of the PV helped reduce cost and opened a number of opportunities for low power needs. In the 1980's the PV became a popular power source for devices, such as calculators and watches. Today the industries production of PV models is growing at about twenty- percent annually. Japan and Europe are using the PV system on buildings and interconnection to utility networks.
The Process
As a PV cell is exposed to sunlight, many photons are reflected, pass through, or absorbed by the solar cell. When enough photons are absorbed by the negative layer of the cell, electrons are freed from negative materials. When the two layers are connected to an external load, the electrons flow through the circuit creating electricity.
Costs
The price of can range anywhere from 10,000 dollars to more. Some people are seeing payback periods of as little as 4 to 6 years. Figuring out how much your solar system will cost can be harder than usual. electricity rates can vary and each state has different rebates that may affect the overall rate of your solar system. You would be getting 1500 dollars back a year and 125 dollars back a month. The cost of the power plant is 2.2 billion dollars. Generally, Solar PV systems that generate electricity from sunlight cost between $1.95 to $6 per installed watt. Typically, the larger the system, the lower price per watt.
Concerns
Fossil fuels — coal, oil, and natural gas. Also including air and water pollution, damage to public health, wildlife and habitat loss, water use, land use, and global warming emissions. There is also renewable sources such as wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, and hydropower.