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E6F09

CIRCUIT COMPONENTS · Electro-optical technology: photoconductivity; photovoltaic devices; optical sensors and encoders; optically isolated switching

E6F09E6F →

What is the efficiency of a photovoltaic cell?

  1. AThe output RF power divided by the input DC power
  2. BThe output in lumens divided by the input power in watts
  3. CThe open-circuit voltage divided by the short-circuit current under full illumination
  4. DThe relative fraction of light that is converted to current
Why Efficiency for any energy converter is useful output power divided by input power, and for a photovoltaic cell the input is the optical power falling on it and the output is electrical. So efficiency is the fraction of the incident light energy that ends up as electrical current and voltage in the load. Typical silicon cells run roughly 10 to 20 percent, meaning most of the sunlight is lost as heat or passes through unabsorbed.
Watch out Open-circuit voltage divided by short-circuit current is just a resistance in ohms, not an efficiency, and it uses two conditions where the cell delivers no power at all. Lumens per watt describes a light source's luminous efficacy, the opposite direction of energy conversion.
Efficiency is always power out over power in. For a solar cell, in is light and out is electricity.
HamSandwich explanation, first draft. The question and answers are the NCVEC text.
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The rest of E6F

  1. E6F01 What absorbs the energy from light falling on a photovoltaic cell?
  2. E6F02 What happens to photoconductive material when light shines on it?
  3. E6F03 What is the most common configuration of an optoisolator or optocoupler?
  4. E6F04 What is the photovoltaic effect?
  5. E6F05 Which of the following describes an optical shaft encoder?
  6. E6F06 Which of these materials is most commonly used to create photoconductive devices?
  7. E6F07 What is a solid-state relay?
  8. E6F08 Why are optoisolators often used in conjunction with solid-state circuits that control 120 VAC circuits?
  9. E6F09 What is the efficiency of a photovoltaic cell?
  10. E6F10 What is the most common material used in power-generating photovoltaic cells?
  11. E6F11 What is the approximate open-circuit voltage produced by a fully illuminated silicon photovoltaic cell?
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