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Running Head: SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM 2

SOLAR SYSTEM 2

Background

Life on earth is only possible because of the sun. The use of solar energy is, in fact, not as recent as many people think: the development of solar cell technology, photovoltaic (PV) technology to be specific, started in the 19th century.

-History of Solar Energy Development

During the first Industrial Revolution, a French physicist Alexandre Edmond Becquerellar discovered the conversion from sunlight to electricity using PV cells. A couple of decades later, Charles Fritts, an American inventor, developed the first rooftop solar array using solar panels coated with selenium. The array only generated a feeble current because the relationship between sunlight and electricity generation was not fully comprehended. Fortunately, Albert Einstein published a paper in 1905, which not only explains the photoelectric effect but also won him the Nobel prize. These scientists pioneered solar technology and built and solid foundation for further development.

[https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/renewable/solar/history-of-solar-power/#_ftn4]

-Solar Energy Systems

Hundreds of PV cells make up a solar array, which is then used to convert sunlight into electric power. Nowadays, electricity systems powered by solar energy has become a popular choice for both residential and commercial users. There are different kinds of solar cells developed to satisfy the different needs of consumers. The most common types of solar cells are made of crystalline silicon and thin-film technology.

 Crystalline Silicone:

monocrystalline 

polycrystalline 

Thin-Film Technology:

cadmium telluride (CdTe)

copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS)

amorphous thin-film silicon

-Advantages of Solar Energy

-Challenges of Solar Energy