This critical review traces the historical evolution and technological advancement of PV systems, emphasizing key innovations across various photovoltaic cell types such as crystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride, perovskites, and organic materials. Photovoltaics (PV) is the conversion of light into electricity using semiconducting materials that exhibit the photovoltaic effect, a phenomenon studied in physics, photochemistry, and electrochemistry. The photovoltaic effect is commercially used for electricity generation and as photosensors. A. Though solar energy has found a dynamic and established role in today's clean energy economy, there's a long history behind photovoltaics (PV) that brought the concept of solar energy to fruition. With the way the cost of solar has plummeted in the past decade, it's easy to forget that going solar. This article provides a comprehensive overview of solar power generation, emphasizing its critical role in phasing out fossil fuels to combat climate change and other environmental issues. Its history spans from the 7th Century B. We started out concentrating the sun's heat with glass and mirrors to light fires. Today, we have everything from solar-powered buildings to solar-powered vehicles. It all began with Edmond Becquerel, a young physicist working in France, who in 1839.
