Lord of Zion Divine School Inc

Grade 8 – St. Mark

Research Report on Recent Technological Invention

Solar Panels

Japeth Dave Bugaing

Ram Austin Berganio
Kristine Mhevic Pajimola
Kimberly Pangog
Jonn Rhyant Panit

Date submitted

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Abstract
Sunlight can be converted into power using a solar panel. A variety of silicon and other
material-based solar cells make up its composition. Electric current is produced when
sunlight enters the solar cells and moves the electrons around. Solar energy systems are
utilized for a wide range of purposes, such as home and business solar electric systems,
remote sensing, telecommunications equipment, and remote power systems for cabins.

Finding a clean, renewable energy source that can cut greenhouse gas emissions and
electricity costs is the stated problem. Using solar panels, a clean, sustainable energy
source, is the technique employed. The main conclusions are that solar panels are widely
utilized in space and transportation applications in addition to commercial, industrial, and
residential settings. Solar panels have a number of benefits, including using a clean,
renewable energy source, lowering electricity costs, and reducing greenhouse gas
emissions. Among their drawbacks are their high initial prices, need for cleaning, and
reliance on the quantity and quality of sunshine. To sum up, solar energy is a potential
technique for producing electricity from sustainable resources, however its effectiveness
depends on the location, climate, and other factors.

I. Introduction
Solar energy has been developing for more than a century. Solar energy was primarily
utilized in the past to create steam, which was then used to power machinery. However,
Edmond Becquerel's discovery of the "photovoltaic effect" was necessary to enable the
conversion of solar radiation into electrical energy. Charles Fritts created the first real solar
cell in 1893 as a result of Becquerel's discovery. The solar cell was created by lightly coating
sheets of selenium with gold. And from these modest beginnings would grow the apparatus
that is now known as the solar panel. Sometimes, when people think of alternative or
renewable energy, they think of big solar panels on rooftops, either blue or black, or
portable road signs with a tiny panel attached. These solar panels, also known as
photovoltaic modules (or PV modules), convert sunlight into electricity, and they have been
the backbone of renewable energy for decades. Solar panels are those gadgets that take in
solar radiation and turn it into either heat or power.
In essence, a solar panel is an assembly of solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells,
which have the ability to produce energy through the process of photovoltaic effect. On the
surface of solar panels, these cells are organized in a grid-like configuration. These days, a
wide range of electrical devices, including calculators, employ solar panels to run as long as
sunshine is present.
On the other hand, the primary disadvantage of solar panels is their high cost. Additionally,
as solar panels require sunlight to charge, they are positioned outside. These panels have a
very high wear-and-tear tolerance. The lifespan of solar panels is rather slow. Their efficacy

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drops by only one to two percent (often even less) in a year. Crystalline silicon solar cells
are used to make the majority of solar panels. By preventing the dangerous emissions of
greenhouse gases, solar panel installation in homes contributes to the reduction of global
warming. Solar panels are clean and do not produce any pollutants. They also lessen our
dependency on conventional power sources and fossil fuels, both of which have limited
supply.
As a result, it might alternatively be thought of as a collection of solar modules installed on
a framework. A solar cell assembly of 6x10 is packaged and joined to form a photovoltaic
(PV) module. The photovoltaic effect (how sunlight is converted into electrical energy) was
discovered over a hundred years ago! Yet widespread implementation of this technology has
been very gradual. Only in very recent years has photovoltaics gained wide popularity as an
alternative way to produce electricity. Utilizing solar electricity has numerous applications.
One of the easiest is using lightweight, portable PV modules to charge tiny electrical
devices, such as music players and cell phones. Individual solar panels or solar arrays
connected to one another might be utilized. Stand-alone battery-based systems, often
referred to as "off-grid" systems, and grid-tied systems, also referred to as "grid-interactive"
or "utility-interactive," are the two main types of systems for supplying electricity to homes,
cabins, workplaces, and other significant electrical demands. For those who work in the
industry, solar energy is developing at a rate that is astounding, and it now looks set to play
a significant part in the current energy revolution. For the past ten years, the global
photovoltaic industry has grown at an average compound annual rate of more than 35%,
according to the Solar Energy Industry Data (SEIA). PV deployment will undoubtedly
increase as the world's energy mix shifts more and more in favor of renewable energy
sources.

II. Literature review

An environmentally friendly method of producing electricity directly from solar radiation is
solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. Across the globe, its small-to-large isolated and grid-
connected applications have grown in popularity. Around 21% relative growth was shown
by the cumulative global PV installed capacity, which rose from 483.1 GW in 2018 to 580.2
GW in 2019 (IRENA, 2020). Asia has the largest installed PV system contribution, with China
(175 GW), Japan (55.5 GW), and India (26.8 GW) following. Europe ranks second globally
in terms of installed PV capacity, with significant contributions from the UK (13.4 GW), Italy
(20.12 GW), and Germany (45.9 GW). Less than 23% of PV technologies on the market
today have conversion efficiencies, which emphasizes the need for additional advancements
to guarantee increased competitiveness (Alami et al., 2022). PV system efficiencies are
influenced by a number of factors, and optimal performance requires a set of
circumstances. The most significant influencing factors are meteorological factors, such as
solar radiation, air temperature, dust storms, and wind speed. In general, it is expected that
solar PV plants can achieve high PV energy output when they are situated in desert regions
with sunny weather. However, there is a lot of dust accumulation in these areas, which
hinders the performance of PV systems. The impact of dust deposition has been extensively

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studied in the literature. A thorough analysis emphasising important facets associated with
the issue of (Gupta et al., 2019) looked at dust and its mitigation options to suppress dust
accumulation. Darwish et al. (2015) explicitly concentrated on the impact of different types
of dust pollution on the generation of photovoltaic power from the same perspective.
Additionally, a review screening pertinent contributions (from 2012–2015) regarding dust
and soiling effects on solar energy systems was presented by Costa et al. (2016). The cell
temperature is another crucial factor that significantly affects the performance of solar PV
systems. PV panels tend to produce less power when their cell temperatures rise. More
specifically, temperature enhancement reduces efficiency at higher temperatures by
influencing the open-circuit voltage. PV system performance can be greatly improved by
using effective cooling and heat management strategies.

III. Recent Technological Invention Description

The revolution in energy production started with the discovery of the solar cell.
Researchers would repeatedly iterate this change in order to make new discoveries in the
field of solar energy, and this process is still ongoing. The early 19th century saw the
beginning of solar energy's innovative history. In 1839, French scientist Edmond Becquerel
discovered the photovoltaic effect at the young age of 19. He realized when electrons were
in an excited state in a conduction band, they could move freely through a material, thus
creating a current. But this wasn’t widely recognized until Einstein wrote a paper about the
power of solar for which he eventually received the Nobel prize in 1922. The first solar panel
was invented by Charles Fritts in 1883 where he coated a thin layer of selenium with an
extremely thin layer of gold. The resulting cells had a conversion electrical efficiency of only
about 1%. This invention led to the launching of a movement for producing solar energy.
When researchers at Bell Laboratory focused on photovoltaic (PV) advancements and
started using silicon to create solar cells in 1950, the solar era officially began. Gerald
Pearson, Calvin Fuller, and Daryl Chapin are recognized with this innovation, which only
resulted in a 4% efficiency. The US government increased its funding for solar cell research
as a result of this breakthrough. Although the production of solar panels was made possible
in the 1960s and 1970s, the cost was expensive for the majority of consumers.
Nevertheless, scientists kept working to develop solar energy technology in an effort to
lower the price. Russel S. Ohl wrote about a method of creating silicon pieces that resulted
in the first P-N junction cell, coinciding with the development of semiconductors in 1941.
Ohl removed a portion of the piece, cutting it into the top, bottom, and barrier sections, and

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placed electrodes to the corresponding sections, resulting in the creation of the initial silicon
solar cell. The first-ever patented silicon P-N-EMF (PN junction Electromotive force) cell
appears in the figure above. In the 1950s the world had less than a watt of solar cells
powering electrical equipment. Fast-forward to the 21st century, 50 years of continued
discovery and development of silicon and other PV materials and still ongoing, today solar
panels provide electricity to millions of houses worldwide, power up buildings, satellites and
provide clean energy all around the world.

IV. Advantage and Disadvantage

Advantages:
Solar panels does not create carbon or other heat-trapping “greenhouse” gasses. So, it
could help us avoid environmental harm caused by mining or drilling for fossil fuels.
Meanwhile, unlike power plants that use steam turbines to generate electricity, solar energy
consumes little to no water. Aside from that, one of the benefits of solar panels to us
humans is that it could reduce our dependence on the electrical supply and save money on
your electricity bill. Solar panels are simple to maintain because they do not have
mechanical components that wear out over time. Simply maintain them clean and in good
physical shape to ensure they continue to function properly. Moreover, Solar energy
systems can generate electricity in any climate.

Disadvantages:
One of the disadvantages of solar energy is that it’s subject to temporary weather
disruption. Cloudy days reduce the amount of electricity you produce. Cold, however,
doesn’t affect productivity. In addition to that, Cost is the most frequently brought up an
issue of solar energy, but it is getting less as the industry grows. The equipment installation
and purchase price is high in the beginning. However, leasing options can lower your initial
outlay if money is a concern. Should you decide to purchase, you will have to occupy your
house for a certain amount of years until the system becomes self-sufficient. Other than
that, not every room will work well with solar panels. Orientation matters. If your roof
doesn't face the sun, you won’t be able to capture enough solar energy. Roofs that angle
into the sun tend to work better than flat roofs. Solar panels are also dependent on
sunlight.

V. Discussion

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 The main component of a solar panel is a solar cell, which converts the Sun’s energy to
usable electrical energy. The most common form of solar panels involve crystalline silicon-
type solar cells. These solar cells are formed using layers of elemental silicon and elements
such as phosphorus and boron. The elements added to the silicon layers form an n-type
layer, which has an excess of electrons, and a p-type layer, which has a deficit of electrons.
These two layers form a p-n junction. Electrons undergo a transition from a lower-energy
ground state in which they are bonded to particular atoms in a solid to a higher excited
state in which they can move through the solid when light reaches a solar cell. A thin-film
solar cell is a type of device made of layers of photon-absorbing material deposited over a
flexible substrate that are micron thick. Its purpose is to convert light energy into electrical
energy through the photovoltaic effect. Thin-film solar cells were originally introduced in the
1970s by researchers at the Institute of Energy Conversion at the University of Delaware in
the United States. The technology continuously improved so that in the early 21st century
the global thin-film photovoltaic market was growing at an unprecedented rate and was
forecast to continue to grow. Due to their efficiency in generating electricity and their
relatively low cost, a variety of thin-film solar cell types are widely used. A thin-film solar cell
is a device that uses the photovoltaic effect to convert light energy into electrical energy. It
is made up of layers of photon-absorbing material that are deposited micron-thickly over a
flexible substrate.

VI. Conclusion
Huge quantities of directly usable energy can be produced by solar power, which also
eventually generates other energy sources like biomass, wind, hydropower, and wave
energy. The majority of the Earth's surface receives enough solar radiation to allow for low-
grade water and building heating, though seasonal and latitude variations are significant.
Simple mirror devices can concentrate solar energy enough for steam turbines and even for
cooking at low latitudes. In particular semiconducting materials, light energy causes
electrons to shift. Large-scale electricity generation is possible with this photovoltaic effect.
To meet demand for electricity, however, very large areas are needed as a result of the
current low efficiency of solar PV cells. Researching regarding solar panels are helpful thus a
vital component of the goal of sustainable development and higher living standards is
having access to clean energy. This piece explores the important function that clean energy
serves within helping people, revealing imaginative solutions that are building adaptability,
empowering communities, and preparing steps for a better future. The purpose of this
project is to promote support and action in favour of services that provide clean energy to
those in need.

VII. References
Allouhi, A., Rehman, S., Buker, M.S., & Said, Z. (2022) Up-to-date literature review on Solar PV systems:
Technology progress, market status and R&D. Retrieved from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652622019436

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History and the Development of Photovoltaics – AESOLAR. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://ae-solar.com/history-
of-solar-module/?fbclid=IwAR2Jn2JIKMVqVIleV77y4pl2pC43OvBFYKpilarl-QLz_u6bY5smKYPwjIk#:~:text=The
%20first%20solar%20panel%20was,movement%20for%20producing%20solar%20energy

Introduction to Solar Electricity – DIY Solar Resources. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.altestore.com/diy-
solar-resources/introduction-to-solar-electricity/#:~:text=In%20very%20basic%20terms%2C%20a,used%20in
%20systems%20without%20batteries.

Solar panel | Definition & Facts. (2023) Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/technology/solar-panel

What is Solar Panel? Definition of Solar Panel, Solar Panel Meaning - The Economic Times. (n.d.) Retrieved
from https://m.economictimes.com/definition/solar-panel/amp?
fbclid=IwAR0IYVUygHY70Gj10s647upffZdadc61FaEt_wteKGt56MSkvq1fAQdetXA

What Is A Solar Panel? How does a solar panel work? (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.mrsolar.com/what-
is-a-solar-panel/?fbclid=IwAR17JMOHRyhcxwr4DfrPvd_D08qBCgZ97aKe3tW7nXX6ci-lsSzRTZc4GAE

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