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 any solar cell to work efficiently, it must absorb sunlight and convert it into electrical charges.

From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026

And he saw this as a chance to bring in researchers—Shockley, Gerald Pearson, John Pierce and others—who later worked on the transistor, the solar cell and the first communications satellite.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

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 • Feb. 12, 2026

Putting data centers into Earth orbit powered by a large solar cell array would give the chips 24-hour access to the sun’s energy if the satellite is in what is called sun-synchronous orbit.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2025

Something I can leave behind with a single solar cell.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir