Solar Cell

A solar cell, also called a photovoltaic cell, is an electronic device that converts light directly into electricity through the photovoltaic effect, an effect Edmond Becquerel first observed experimentally in 1839. Sunlight striking a semiconductor, typically silicon, frees electrons and produces an electric current; the first practical photovoltaic cell was publicly demonstrated at Bell Laboratories in 1954. A single silicon solar cell produces a maximum open-circuit voltage of about 0.5 to 0.6 volts, so individual cells are wired together into the panels called solar modules. Crystalline silicon remains the dominant material, holding roughly 95 percent of the commercial market. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/