die  Photovoltaik

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/fotoˌfɔltaˈiːk/

☀️ What is Photovoltaik?

Photovoltaik (often abbreviated as PV) refers to the direct conversion of light energy, usually from sunlight, into electrical energy using solar cells. It's a technology for generating electricity from renewable sources.

The word is feminine in German, so the correct usage is die Photovoltaik. It describes the physical process as well as the technology and the industry as a whole.

🚨 There are no other articles for this word. It's always die Photovoltaik.

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar Corner: die Photovoltaik

The word "Photovoltaik" is a feminine noun in German. Therefore, the correct article is "die". It's mostly used in the singular as it refers to the technology or process itself.

Declension (Singular)

Note: The plural form "die Photovoltaiken" is very rare and mostly used in technical contexts for specific types or systems. Usually, people refer to multiple installations as Photovoltaikanlagen (photovoltaic systems/plants).

💡 Example Sentences

1. Die Photovoltaik ist ein wichtiger Baustein der Energiewende.
   (Photovoltaics is an important component of the energy transition.)
2. Die Effizienz der Photovoltaik hat sich in den letzten Jahren stark verbessert.
   (The efficiency of photovoltaics has improved significantly in recent years.)
3. Dank Photovoltaik können Hausbesitzer ihre Stromkosten senken.
   (Thanks to photovoltaics, homeowners can lower their electricity costs.)
4. Forschung im Bereich der Photovoltaik treibt Innovationen voran.
   (Research in the field of photovoltaics drives innovation.)

🔌 How to Use Photovoltaik?

The term Photovoltaik is mainly used in the context of renewable energy, technology, and environmental protection.

• Technical Context: Describing how solar cells and modules work (e.g., "Die Physik der Photovoltaik basiert auf dem photoelektrischen Effekt." - The physics of photovoltaics is based on the photoelectric effect.).
• Economic Context: Discussing the market, costs, subsidies, and profitability of solar installations (e.g., "Die Investition in Photovoltaik amortisiert sich über die Jahre." - The investment in photovoltaics pays off over the years.).
• Environmental Context: Emphasizing the contribution to reducing CO2 emissions and climate protection (e.g., "Photovoltaik ist eine saubere Form der Energiegewinnung." - Photovoltaics is a clean form of energy generation.).

Distinction: Not to be confused with Solarthermie (solar thermal energy), which uses solar energy to generate heat (for heating, hot water), whereas Photovoltaik generates electricity.

🧠 Mnemonics for Photovoltaik

For the article 'die': Think of related feminine German words ending in -ie like die Energie (energy) or die Technologie (technology), or simply die Sonne (the sun). Photovoltaik fits into this feminine energy family!

For the meaning: Break down the word: Photo (from Greek for light) + Voltaik (after Alessandro Volta, pioneer of electricity). So: Light turns into electricity! 💡➡️⚡️

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Similar Terms

• Solarthermie: Uses solar energy for heat generation (heating, hot water), not electricity generation.
• Photoeffekt / Photoelektrischer Effekt: The basic physical principle, but not the entire technology or application.

😄 A Little Joke

Warum sind Solarzellen so optimistisch?

Weil sie immer die positive Seite sehen und alles in einem neuen Licht betrachten! ☀️

(Why are solar cells so optimistic?
Because they always look on the bright side and see everything in a new light! ☀️)

📜 Poem about the Sun

Die Sonne schickt ihr helles Licht, Auf Dächer, klar und dicht. Die Zelle fängt die Strahlen ein, Verwandelt sie zu Strom, so fein.

Die Photovoltaik, schlau erdacht, Hat uns die Sonnenkraft gebracht. Für Umwelt, Zukunft, hell und klar, Macht sie den Strom verfügbar.

(The sun sends its bright light,
Onto roofs, clear and tight.
The cell captures the rays,
Turns them into power in wondrous ways.

Photovoltaics, cleverly conceived,
Has brought us the sun's power, received.
For environment, future, bright and clear,
It makes electricity available here.)

🧩 Riddle Time

Ich trinke Licht und spucke Strom,
Bin auf dem Dach, dem Feld, dem Dom.
Ich helfe, dass die Luft rein bleibt,
Und Energie die Zukunft schreibt.

Wer oder was bin ich? 🤔

(I drink light and spit out power,
I'm on the roof, the field, the tower.
I help to keep the air clean,
And write the future energy scene.

Who or what am I? 🤔)

Solution: Die Photovoltaik (or a solar cell / solar panel system)

⚙️ Trivia

Word Origin (Wortherkunft)

The word Photovoltaik is a compound:

• Photo-: from the Greek word φῶς (phos), meaning "light".
• -voltaik: derived from the name of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745–1827), a pioneer of electricity, after whom the unit of electric potential, the "volt", is also named.

Brief History (Kurze Geschichte)

The photovoltaic effect was first observed by French physicist Alexandre Edmond Becquerel in 1839. Albert Einstein explained the underlying photoelectric effect in 1905, for which he later received the Nobel Prize. However, the first practical silicon solar cell was developed only in 1954 at Bell Laboratories.