Which spectrum of sunlight generates the electricity in a solar panel?

Question

Dose a solar panel need the entire range or spectrum of sunlight to produce power?

Answer 1

Depends on the type of solar cell. They all work on a wide range of visible and near visible light. Amorphous solar cells tend to have peak response around blue light, crystalline have peak response in the near infrared.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V4S-3XCFPG1-9&_user=10&_coverDate=01%2F02%2F2000&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=2ca32be5c6984e156ac4b7d8c890f088

It's a huge field of study, very important to solar cell development. People are trying to optimize spectral response for sunlight, even for sunlight in specific places.

Google solar cell spectral response for many many websites. Most of them are specific to one experiment.

Answer 2

I think it's in the Ultra-Violet range because Solar Panels will still put out almost full power on an overcast day.

Answer 3

1