Solar Energy and Bhadla Solar Park Lecture Notes

Vocabulary terms and definitions covering solar technology principles, material sciences like Perovskites, and specific data regarding India's solar infrastructure and Bhadla Solar Park.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) cells

The main technology used to convert sunlight directly into electricity.

India's solar capacity (June 2026)

The recorded solar capacity of India as of June 2026 was $162.15\,GW$.

Silicon

The main material widely used in commercial solar cells.

Photovoltaic effect

The basic principle by which sunlight is converted directly into electricity.

PV

Abbreviation for Photovoltaic.

Photons

Particles from sunlight that excite electrons in a semiconductor during the PV process.

Direct current (DC)

The type of electrical output generated by solar PV cells before conversion.

Inverter

A device that converts direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC) for grid use.

Perovskite

A class of materials with a characteristic crystal structure that can potentially achieve high solar-cell efficiency.

Perovskite-silicon tandem cell

A solar cell formed by combining perovskite with silicon.

Tandem Solar Cell

A solar cell with two or more light-absorbing layers designed to capture different wavelengths of sunlight.

Bhadla Solar Park

One of the world's largest solar parks, located in the Jodhpur/Phalodi area of Rajasthan.

Bhadla Solar Park capacity

A solar park categorized in the $2.25\,GW$-class.