I feel like this is an area of focus that people rarely find out about, so here I'm going to explain about what they are and what they are used for!
Solar cells, otherwise known as photovoltaic cells, are devices that convert the energy of light into electricity. Wait, so how does that all work? Well, it's all thanks to the photovoltaic effect; something coined by Einstein himself from 1905 where it was found out blue or ultraviolet light provides enough energy for electrons to escape completely from the surface of a metal.
Today, solar cells make up the parts of a solar panel, where they are put together to make up these well-known areas that are often found on people's homes.
Solar cells are primarily made of silicon, which is derived from sand (that goes through a complex purification process). The silicon is then made into silicon wafers, which are transformed into these solar cells through doping and texturing.
The solar cell is comprised of three parts; the n-type layer (semiconductor), junction between, then the p-type layer (semiconductor). When light photons strike the surface of the solar cell, they reflect off the cell, pass through it, or be absorbed to actually pass energy to generate electricity.
