Green Energy to Sustainability: Strategies for Global Industries

4The Development of Solar Energy Generation Technologies and Global Production Capabilities

F. John Hay¹ and N. Ianno²

¹ Extension Educator – Energy, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, University of Nebraska‐Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA

² Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Nebraska‐Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68182, USA

CHAPTER MENU

• Introduction
• Sunlight and Photosynthesis
• Photovoltaic Devices
• Overview of Solar Photovoltaic Applications
• Perspectives
• References

4.1 Introduction

Sunlight is the major provider of energy on earth. A majority of our energy use comes from either stored sunlight such as coal, oil, and natural gas, or more recently arriving sunlight in the form of hydroelectricity, wind, waves, biomass, and direct use of sunlight such as solar thermal or sunlight to electricity technologies like photovoltaic cells. This chapter will discuss sunlight energy use by photosynthesis and photovoltaics (PV). In both energy conversions photons from the sun excite electrons, these excited electrons drive the reactions in photosynthesis and create an electric current in photovoltaic cells. Photosynthesis and PV are both impacted by the quantity and quality of the sunlight striking the earth. The atmosphere reflects some radiation back into space while diffusing and scattering some radiation. Approximately 1000 W m⁻² reaches the earth's surface.

Sunlight quantity varies by time of day and time of year due to the rotation of the earth, ...