Development of photovoltaic energy in the 21 st Century

The production of electricity by the conversion of light using PV cells has seen a rapid rise at the dawn of the 21st Century with a rate of growth of 29% in 2000. The realisation of solar cells based on crystalline silicon remains the route for most advances in the technological and industrial plan. In effect, silicon is an abundant element on Earth in the form of silica, perfectly stable and nontoxic.