Escola Secundária de Loulé
A solar cell or photovoltaic cell is a device that converts light energy into electrical energy. Sometimes the term solar cell is reserved for devices intended specifically to capture energy from sunlight, while the term photovoltaic cell is used when the light source is unspecified.
Fundamentally, the device needs to fulfil only two functions: photogeneration of charge carriers (electrons and holes) in a light-absorbing material, and separation of the charge carriers to a conductive contact that will transmit the electricity (simply put, carrying electrons off through a metal contact into a wire or other circuit). This conversion is called the photovoltaic effect.
Fundamentally, the device needs to fulfil only two functions: photogeneration of charge carriers (electrons and holes) in a light-absorbing material, and separation of the charge carriers to a conductive contact that will transmit the electricity (simply put, carrying electrons off through a metal contact into a wire or other circuit). This conversion is called the photovoltaic effect.
Solar Power Plant in Serpa, Portugal
Image credit: The Sietch Blog
Since they use radiation from the Sun that is a renewable source photovoltaic cells are a good alternative for the production of electrical energy, particularly for areas with a high incidence of solar radiation.
However, the high cost of installation and low yield (which implies a huge surface to produce significant energy) are the biggest obstacle to the widespread use of this type of energy.
Due to the huge daily insulation period Portugal has made large investments in solar power, making it one of the biggest producers in a worldwide scale.
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