PV Gap

Andre Said:

How is electrical energy generated? ?

We Answered:

Nuclear Power:
Uses fission to generate heat that is transferred to water, creating steam and moving a turbine (the turbine spins magnets, in earths magnetic field, and makes charge)

Wind:
Uses wind to turn the turbine, of course going through different gearing depending on the location/ environment.

Hydroelectric:
Uses water-flow from a river, that passes through a dam, and spins a turbine.

Coal:
This ones the cheapest, burn coal, releasing energy and making heat to make steam. Again, the steam spins the turbine.

Solar:
This ones different, and a bit complicated. Basically, the energy in the light from the sun chemically reacts with the photovoltaic cells on the solar panel. From this, the electrical energy is created. I know that the photovoltaic cells can transfer energy at an efficiency rate, that puts it behind energy production methods like nuclear and coal.

I hope i helped

Jorge Said:

How do the energy companies generate ac power?

We Answered:

Various ways, but in the US, mainly coal fired boilers driving turbines, which drive generators.

Some oil fired, some hydroelectric, some wind, some solar, some nuclear.

You can buy a solar array and use that to keep a battery charged, and run an inverter from the battery to generate 120 or 240 VAC. You will need a charge controller between the solar array and the battery, which regulates the charge to the battery.

.

Phyllis Said:

How does a photovoltaic cell work?

We Answered:

Photoelectrochemical devices for conversion of solar energy into both electrical energy and chemical energy are discussed with emphasis on how the various material properties of the photoactive electrodes influence device efficiency and stability. The similarity between photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) and solid state devices is used to model their behaviour and optimize such parameters as band gap, doping level, minority carrier lifetime, etc. A model is presented which calculates the electron affinity of any semiconductor and allows the prediction of the open circuit voltage of wet photovoltaic cells and optimum biasing forchemical producing cells. The effects of absorbed ions at the semiconductor/electrolyte interface are reviewed. The temperature dependence of the energy levels in the semiconductor and the electrolyte are considered and the implications of these results to operation of PECs at elevated temperature are discussed. The major differences between PECs and solid state devices are the stability considerations.