A solar cell is a device that converts the suns energy to
electricity to power a home or something bigger like a town. Solar cells have
been converting energy for quite a long time now however technology is just now
allowing many people to use solar energy to power bigger things like their
homes. The reason this method of getting electricity is gaining more and more
support is not only because of technology but people see the many benefits of using
solar power. The creation of solar cells is a very complicated process however
how they work is rather easy to understand.
Solar cells have been used for many years so they have a
long and interesting history. The modern solar cells technology was created in
1954 by a research lab in New Jersey
named Bell Laboratories. Bell’s
researchers were experimenting with semiconductors when the accidentally found
that silicon doped with certain impurities were sensitive to light. Another
interesting fact is that Hoffman Electronics made all of the solar cells that were
put on Vanguard 1 when it was sent to space. This was a big stepping stone
experiment that ultimately led to the first satellite being sent to space in
which solar energy would provide the satellite with its power.
Recent awareness of how beneficial solar power can be to the
environment and an individual has led to the increasing popularity of solar
power. The reason this kind of power is very good for the environment is
because to work it uses something that is with us every day and that we take
for granted; the sun. When you do not have to burn up coal and pollute it is
better for the earth and its inhabitants. However that’s not all the solar
cells do they also allow people to conserve the energy they are using. During
the day the solar cells collects all the power that it we will need for night
which in turn will conserve the energy that people use at night and during the
day. People who use solar power in their homes know that it really saves money
it the long term. This is a really good thing if a person is spending a lot of
money on electricity, air conditioning, heating and water heating.
Solar cells and power have come a long way and are really
starting to benefit the public in new and ingenious ways. They can be used to
power every day things that people use, and then on the other extreme side they
can be used to power a satellite for NASA.
