Definition of photovoltaic
: of, relating to, or utilizing the generation of a voltage when radiant energy falls on the boundary between dissimilar substances (such as two different semiconductors)
photovoltaic
nounExplore Merriam-Webster
Recent Examples of photovoltaic from the Web
-
Building renewable-energy capacity, predominantly in the form of photovoltaic projects, is one answer in the nation's quest for alternatives.
-
The energy collected can be used to charge mobile devices, thanks to photovoltaic threads embedded in the fabric.
-
The day also marked the first close-up look at the FPL Solar Terrace, which houses 240 photovoltaic solar panels that silently generate 66 kilowatts of zero-emissions energy.
-
The small island is able to generate enough electricity thanks to one wind turbine and a small photovoltaic park.
-
Town documents show several different levels for photovoltaic panels, depending on how and where they might be used.
-
When a utility builds a massive farm of solar panels in the desert—like the Topaz Solar Farm in California, with its 9 million photovoltaic modules—the cost gets down to just over $1 per watt.
-
The home strives for eventual grid-disconnection by using battery power, a solar photovoltaic system, and a vertical-axis wind turbine.
-
There’s no new physics here: The first fission reaction was in 1939, the first photovoltaic cell was created in 1954, windmills date to the Middle Ages, and making alcohol (the dominant biofuel) predates recorded history.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'photovoltaic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sunshine and photovoltaic
The -voltaic part of photovoltaic comes from the name of Alessandro Volta, inventor of the electric battery. Thus, unlike photoelectric cells, which use electricity for certain small tasks, photovoltaic (or PV) cells actually produce electricity. Solar cells, the standard type of photovoltaic cells (often called simply photocells), operate without chemicals and with no moving parts to create energy directly from sunlight. Much research is now being done on creating an alternative technology—solar film, which could be stuck onto almost any surface, or possibly even sprayed on.
Origin and Etymology of photovoltaic
International Scientific Vocabulary
Learn More about photovoltaic
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up photovoltaic? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!