For over 20 years now, the "Solar Cell" and "Solar Energy" concept has revolutionized the way we look at generating electricity. The Solar Cells work according to a concept where electricity can be generated through sunlight. Scientifically speaking, as sun shines on mother earth, it generates around 1000 watts of energy within one square meter. This is a tremendous amount of energy that can be imagined, and is capable of producing electricity for all of us earthlings for the whole of our lifetime.

It is just a matter of time, where suitable Solar Cells could be developed that would use energy solely generated from the Sun and convert them to electricity. There are already widely popular applications of this concept that are widely used the world over. Who has not heard of a solar Calculator that seem to be working always, forever, Solar Panels on road signs and Parking areas, the list goes endlessly. Imagine generating electricity from the sun that is free of cost throughout our lifetimes; logically speaking, this is possible till the earth, other planets and the Sun, ever exist. None of us would need to waste any of our resources to fuel our electricity needs. Quite a fabulous, exciting, revolutionary concept indeed!

Speaking strictly in scientific terminology, the Solar Cell (otherwise also called as Photovoltaic Cell) converts the light energy emitted from the Sun into electrical energy. The principle that works in a Solar Cell can be explained thus; charges (negatively charged electrons) that are generated through light (Photo generated Charges, from the Sun) flow through a material having absorbing capability (materials like Silicon are best). The opposite positive charges (called "holes") are also generated and flow in the opposite direction in this absorbing substratum. The charge separation (through panels) is then carried through a conducting material that generates electricity. In science, this is called as the "Photovoltaic Effect". There is a whole academic domain in many colleges and educational institutions the world over, specializing in this concept called as the "Photovoltaics".

The most significant application of "Photovoltaics" can be seen applied predominantly in man-made Satellites, Consumer items like Calculators, Toys etc, and generation of electricity sometimes in remote areas where a Grid may be unavailable. The material predominantly used for manufacturing Solar Cells is Silicon.

The reason why still the Solar Cell concept has not yet caught up to the extent it should have is quite simple. Even to achieve a minimum efficiency of 32% of the Solar Cell, the silicon that is extracted will have to be absolutely pure. This means only 32% of the sunlight is being used for generating electrical energy. There are many institutions into the R & D in this field and a day is not far away where the entire human race can extract the huge potential of the Sun to produce valuable electricity for us, that too absolutely free of cost.

Your household options for using the sun’s energy instead of fighting it are almost unlimited. Start small, and experience first-hand the benefits of solar power.