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The Physics Teacher -- May 2010 -- Volume 48, Issue 5, pp. 306

An Introduction to Solar Cells

Bernard J. Feldman

University of Missouri‐St. Louis, St. Louis, MO

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Most likely, solar cells will play a significant role in this country's strategy to address the two interrelated issues of global warming and dependence on imported oil. The purpose of this paper is to present an explanation of how solar cells work at an introductory high school, college, or university physics course level. The treatment presented here will be qualitative and somewhat simplified, in order to reach the desired audience; references are provided for a more detailed and mathematically sophisticated treatment. It is hoped that this paper will, in a small way, motivate students to learn more about this technology, so critical to the energy and environmental future of this country.

© 2010 American Association of Physics Teachers

KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

educational courses, global warming, physics education, solar cells, solar energy conversion

PACS

History
Online Apr 2010

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0031-921X (print)  

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef American Association of Physics Teachers

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1119/1.3393060

  1. The conduction and valence bands are quantized electron atomic orbitals that have been broadened due to interactions with their atomic neighbors. For more information, see, for example, Paul A. Tipler, Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 4th ed. (W. H. Freeman, New York, 1999), Vol. II, p. 841.
  2. Y. Hamakawa, “Photovoltaic power,” Sci. Am. 256, 86–92 (April 1987). [ISI]
  3. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cells; www.solarserver.de/wissen/photovoltaik-e.html.
  4. Richard Dalven, Introduction to Applied Solid State Physics (Plenum Press, New York, 1980), pp. 175–191.
  5. Jenny Nelson, The Physics of Solar Cells (Imperial College Press, Imperial College, UK, 2003).
  6. S. M. Sze, Physics of Semiconductor Devices (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1969), pp. 640–653.
  7. K. Zweibel, J. Mason and V. Fthemakis, “By 2050 solar power could end U.S. dependence on foreign oil and slash greenhouse gas emissions,” Sci. Am. 298, 64–73 (Jan. 2008). [MEDLINE]
  8. D. W. Kammer and M. A. Ludington, “Laboratory experiments with silicon solar cells,” Am. J. Phys. 45, 602–605 (July 1977)AJPIAS000045000007000602000001.This article also includes a relatively elementary discussion of the current-voltage characteristics of a solar cell. [ISI]



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