Photovoltaic Electricity. Principles

Photovoltaic electricity generation, based on the conversion of sunlight, has been expanding rapidly for more than two decades. It will certainly account for a significant share of the global energy mix by 2050, given the growing demand for carbon-free electricity sources and the fact that sunlight is available everywhere on Earth at no cost.

This introductory article, devoted to electricity generation through the conversion of sunlight using solar cells, provides readers with a basic understanding of the principles of photovoltaic conversion, including concepts related to the energy transmitted by the Sun, as well as some fundamentals of semiconductor physics and the main mechanisms of electric charge transport. An understanding of the fundamental electrical characteristics (voltage, current, and conversion efficiency) of photovoltaic devices and their use as current generators (light-to-electricity converters) is necessary for a quick assessment of the sizing of a photovoltaic system.

The article “ [BE 8 579] ” discusses the various manufacturing processes for photovoltaic devices, ranging from the most conventional and widely used cells (based on bulk silicon) to inorganic thin-film cells. The potential of other binary or ternary semiconductor materials and organic materials is detailed in other articles in *Techniques de l’Ingénieur* (for example, [NM 5 205] for organic photovoltaics and [RE 250] for photovoltaic cells based on hybrid perovskites).