Solar cell

A solar cell is an electronic device that converts light directly into electrical energy through the photovoltaic effect. Its output depends on the cell material, light spectrum, and electrical load.

Photovoltaic effect: The generation of voltage or electric current in a material when it absorbs light. Solar cells produce electrical output through this light-driven physical effect.
Band gap: The energy range forbidden to electrons between a semiconductor's valence and conduction bands. A cell's band gap determines which photon energies it can absorb.
Photovoltaic system: An electrical power system that uses photovoltaic devices to convert sunlight into electricity. It combines solar cells with the equipment needed to deliver useful power.
Solar thermal energy: The use of sunlight to produce heat for direct use or conversion into other forms of energy. It captures solar energy as heat rather than converting light directly into electricity.
Alexandre Edmond Becquerel: A French physicist who reported the photovoltaic effect in 1839. His experiments established the light-driven electrical effect underlying solar cells.
Semiconductor: A material whose electrical conductivity lies between that of a conductor and an insulator and can be controlled by doping or fields. Semiconductor properties let solar cells separate and transport light-generated charge.
Doping (semiconductor): The intentional addition of impurities to a semiconductor to control its charge-carrier concentration. Doping creates the p-type and n-type regions used in many cells.
Solar panel: An assembly of interconnected photovoltaic cells packaged to produce electrical power. Panels connect many cells to provide usable voltage and current.
Concentrated solar power: A technology that uses mirrors or lenses to concentrate sunlight and generate electricity, usually through heat. Unlike a solar cell, it typically drives a heat engine rather than using the photovoltaic effect.
Charles Fritts: An American inventor who made an early selenium-based solar cell in the 1880s. His device was an early attempt to turn the photovoltaic effect into a power source.

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