Photovoltaics

Photovoltaics is the technology for converting light directly into electricity using semiconducting materials that show the photovoltaic effect. A photovoltaic system is built from solar modules, each containing many individual solar cells, and can be mounted on the ground, a roof or a wall, with either a fixed angle or a mount that tracks the sun. Once installed, a photovoltaic system produces electricity with no pollution or greenhouse gas emissions during operation, though manufacturing and installation carry a smaller environmental cost of their own. By 2022 worldwide installed photovoltaic capacity had passed one terawatt, meeting close to two percent of global electricity demand, and the International Energy Agency expected more than a further terawatt of growth between 2022 and 2027. Photovoltaic modules were first mass produced from 2000 onward after German government funding, and costs have since fallen sharply through manufacturing improvements and economies of scale, making photovoltaic power the cheapest source of electricity in history for well financed projects in regions with strong sunlight. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/