01 How It Works
Photovoltaic (PV) cells use the photoelectric effect: photons from sunlight knock electrons loose in a semiconductor (usually silicon), creating an electric current. Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) uses mirrors to focus sunlight onto a fluid, generating steam for turbines. Modern solar panels convert 20โ24% of sunlight into electricity, with lab records exceeding 47%.
02 Pros & Cons
โ Advantages
- Infinite fuel source
- Rapidly falling costs
- Scalable from rooftop to utility
- No water consumption (PV)
โ ๏ธ Disadvantages
- Intermittent (night, clouds)
- Large land use for utility scale
- Storage challenges
- Panel manufacturing emissions
03 Future Outlook
Perovskite solar cells promise to dramatically increase efficiency and slash manufacturing costs. Building-integrated PV (windows, facades) is maturing. Combined with falling battery storage costs, solar + storage is becoming the cheapest electricity source in history in sunny regions.
04 Fun Fact
In 2023, enough solar panels were installed globally to power about 500 million average homes.