solar cells

Cultural

Devices, usually made of semiconductors, that convert sunlight directly into electric current (see also current). Solar cells power artificial satellites and are often used in remote locations of the Earth.

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At present, solar cells are too expensive and inefficient to be used for commercial generation of electricity.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Because of this, solar cells can only utilize about one-third of incoming sunlight.

From Science Daily • Mar. 28, 2026

China’s habit of flooding energy-poor nations with low-cost solar cells, batteries, and EVs isn’t slowing down.

From Slate • Mar. 12, 2026

The U.S. as a whole can make 65.1 gigawatts worth of solar modules annually and just 3.2 gigawatts worth of solar cells, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 10, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

"With such low visibility, it won't take long for him to realize his solar cells will have a problem. Couldn't he just turn around at that point?"

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023