photovoltaic

adjective

pho·​to·​vol·​ta·​ic ˌfō-tō-väl-ˈtā-ik How to pronounce photovoltaic (audio)
-vōl-
: 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 noun

Examples of photovoltaic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In both solar PVs and TPV systems, the photovoltaic cell generates a power density (in watts per square meter, for instance) that translates to a total power generated by the photovoltaic system. IEEE Spectrum, 21 Feb. 2024 Annual installations of photovoltaic panels increased from a capacity of less than 0.3 gigawatts in 2000 to 45 gigawatts in 2014—enough to power more than 7.4 million American homes. Dickon Pinner, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2015 To be clear, this isn't like putting photovoltaic panels on your roof to generate electricity. Rhett Allain, WIRED, 27 Sep. 2024 Aside from helping mitigate climate change, photovoltaic panels can also help provide resiliency against outages. Tik Root / Grist, Quartz, 19 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for photovoltaic 

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

circa 1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of photovoltaic was circa 1889

Dictionary Entries Near photovoltaic

Cite this Entry

“Photovoltaic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/photovoltaic. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

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