In modern life, a massive amount of alternative energy is produced by sunlight. Therefore, many make solar cells or photovoltaic cells a promising alternative energy source in the future. Photovoltaic cells/PV cells also have the advantage of being a valuable energy source, considering that they do not require transmission because solar energy can be installed in a modular manner at any location that needs it.

When it comes to solar power, most people imagine solar panels being installed on the roofs of houses or solar fields. But advances in solar energy technology are being made regularly. Currently, there are PVs made with new and better materials. These discoveries made it possible to increase the number of uses of solar system.

Solar Cell Applications

• Solar Fabrics

Today’s small, flexible solar panels can be tucked into the clothing fabric. Solar filaments embedded in shirts, winter coats, and other clothing keep a person warm, power cell phones, or provide energy for different portable electronics needs. Other uses are lighting up building facades and curtains or lighting car seats.

• Solar Skin

Solar Skin is a new technology created by MIT-spin-off Sistine Solar that integrates a custom design into the solar panel system. Solar Skin is an aesthetic coating that changes the look of any solar panel by using a custom-printed image. This technology uses selective light filtering while simultaneously displaying an image and transmitting sunlight to the solar panels. Images can be customized with the appearance of a business logo or advertisement.

• Solar Powered Roads

Solar-powered roads can generate clean energy, illuminate themselves at night, and melt snow and ice during winter. Factors affecting energy production include panel efficiency, angle, tracking method, clock, and temperature. Road materials are also different: asphalt will damage rigid PV cells, and concrete is less flexible and would be better for PV cells. Several transportation companies and agencies are currently testing the feasibility of this solar-powered road system.

• Floating Solar Farms

Current PV is designed to float on large surfaces of water. Research shows that floatovoltaics installed in just a quarter of an artificial reservoir will be able to generate 10% of the US energy needs. Studies also show the power production of floating solar panels is up to 10% due to the cooling effect of water. Floating solar farms also reduce water loss through evaporation and suppress algae growth, lowering water treatment costs.

 

Advantages of Pilot Solarcell

No	Advantages of PV Cells
1	Directly converts sunlight into direct electrical energy without fuel
2	Directly converts sunlight into direct electrical energy without fuel
3	Simple maintenance compared to conventional systems
4	For small loads, it tends to be economical
5	Direct electricity without fuel
6	Can be applied directly to practical tools
7	System installation is safer due to low voltage and DC

 

• Solar Storage

Scientists have found a new way to store the energy generated by solar PV systems. When electricity is generated from solar energy, it goes into the stored energy grid. Researchers are developing new ways to keep this electricity on a larger scale. For example, one promising approach is molten salt storage technology, where solar collectors use inorganic molten salt as the heat transfer fluid instead of heat transfer oil.

• PV Solar Noise Barriers

More than 3000 miles of noise barriers along the way are designed to reflect noise away from populated areas. The US Department of Energy is studying how to integrate PV cells into the border to generate electricity with a potential of 400-gigawatt hours per year. It is roughly equal to the annual electricity use of 37,000 homes. The energy generated by this noise barrier can be sold to the transportation department or the local community at a lower price.

• Solar at Night

With a lack of sunlight, solar panels cannot generate electricity at night. But scientists at the University of California have created a new type of solar panel that can generate electricity at night by capturing infrared light generated by the thermal gradient between PV cells and the atmosphere. Even though nighttime solar panels only produce about 25% of the energy that regular solar panels have during the day, it still makes up the bulk of the extra energy that can be stored or added to the power grid.

• Solar Energy Lighting

Solar energy is a suitable solution for security lights, street lights, indoor lights, and road signs because it is affordable, environmentally friendly, and easy to obtain. You can use solar energy to light your home or business because it is a great option to save electricity, energy, and costs and doesn’t lose or lose power like other energy systems.

• Solar Pumping Water for Irrigation

The solar panel system’s solar energy can be used to pump water used for irrigation during the summer. During summer, plants lose more water through the process of transpiration, but at the same time, solar panels produce more solar energy because they get high sun exposure. It makes solar energy solutions great for irrigation as they are readily available and inexpensive.

 

FAQ 

Why is it called solar cell?

-It is a form of photoelectric cell, defined as a device whose electrical characteristics, such as current, voltage, or resistance, vary when exposed to light. Individual solar cell devices are often the electrical building blocks of photovoltaic modules, known colloquially as solar panels.

What is solar cell and types of solar cell?

-Solar cells can be divided into three broad types, crystalline silicon-based, thin-film solar cells, and a newer development that is a mixture of the other two.