The principle of operation of a solar module (solar panel, solar battery) is based on the physical properties of semiconductors, which have the ability to create, under the influence of sunlight, electronic conductivity of the "p-n" type. A potential difference is created between the electrodes of the device, and an electric current flows in the circuit when the load is connected. A solar module consists of a certain number of photovoltaic cells connected to each other, so the principle of operation of the device can be considered on the work of a single element.
In 1842, Alexandre Edmond Becquerel discovered the effect of converting light into electricity. Charles Fritts began using selenium to convert light into electricity. The first prototypes of solar cells were created by Italian photochemist Giacomo Luigi Chamichan.
On April 25, 1948, Bell Laboratories announced the creation of the first silicon-based solar cells to produce electric current. This discovery was made by three of the company's employees, Calvin Saulzer Fuller, Daryl Chapin and Gerald Pearson .
Ten years later, on March 17, 1958, the United States launched a satellite using solar panels, the Vanguard 1.
On May 15, 1958, the Soviet Union also launched Sputnik-3, a satellite with solar panels.
Three types of solar cells. Each of these types of solar cells is made in a unique way and has a different aesthetic appearance.
Monocrystalline
Polycrystalline
Thin-film solar cells
