Renewable energy is energy that is produced from natural resources and is one of the fastest growing industries. In any emerging industry innovation plays a key role in bringing about the mainstream adoption of technology. Within the field of renewable energy, researchers are constantly seeking ways to increase the efficiency and lower the costs associated with generating power from renewable sources. The area of renewable energy that is getting the most attention is photovoltaics.
Photovoltaics (PV) is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation employs solar panels composed of a number of cells containing photovoltaic material. Materials presently used for photovoltaics include monocrystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride, and copper indium selenide/sulfide. Due to the growing demand for renewable energy sources, the manufacturing of solar cells and photovoltaic arrays has advanced considerably in recent years.
Another new promising technology is fuel cells. A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts energy from fuel into electrical energy. Electricity is generated from the reaction between a fuel supply and an oxidizing agent. Fuel cells are very useful as power sources in remote locations, such as spacecraft, remote weather stations, large parks, rural locations, and in certain military applications. A fuel cell system running on hydrogen can be compact and lightweight, and have no major moving parts.
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