solar cell

American  

noun

1. a photovoltaic cell that converts sunlight directly into electricity.

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solar cell British  

noun

1. a photovoltaic cell that produces electricity from the sun's rays, used esp in spacecraft

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solar cell Scientific  

1. A photoelectric cell designed to convert sunlight into electrical energy, typically consisting of layers or sheets of specially prepared silicon. Electrons, displaced through the photoelectric effect by the Sun's radiant energy in one layer, flow across a junction to the other layer, creating a voltage across the layers that can provide power to an external circuit. Solar cells are used as power supplies in calculators, satellites, and other devices, and as a primary source of electricity in remote locations.

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Example Sentences

For devices such as solar cells, photodetectors and photocatalytic systems to function effectively, this pair must separate quickly into free charges.

From Science Daily

But as local competition grew in China, Jetter decided to license some of his company's technology for solar cell processing to a local Chinese company, rather than selling directly to Chinese-owned firms.

From Barron's

If Tesla only got involved in making solar cells, it would cost somewhere between $15 billion and $20 billion to hit that 100-gigawatt goal, the analysts said in a Tuesday note.

From MarketWatch

Silver is a critical component in solar cells, of which 80% globally are made in China.

From The Wall Street Journal

India already has markets for glass and aluminium, and metals found in solar cells - silicon, silver, and copper - can be recovered for new panels or other industries, says Akansha Tyagi, co-author of the study.

From BBC