Photovoltaic technology

Integrated High Concentration Photovoltaic Technology, EPRITR-103267, Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, Calif., 1993. 

The key is a reduction of costs. Solar panels are expensive since photovoltaic technology is still in its infancy. Although the price of PV cells has fallen significantly, PV electricity is still not without a subsidy. As more PV systems are built and installed, the market should result in solar electricity becoming more and more competitive. 

N. Wyrsch, H. Keppner, Photovoltaic technology The case for thin-film solar cells, Science 285 (1999) 692-698. 

This contribution has been realized in the frame of projects PONOl 01725 New Photovoltaic Technologies and PON/ENERGETIC which are gratefully acknowledged by the authors. 

In addition to silicon wafers and thin films, other photovoltaic technologies are gaining interest and importance such as concentrating PV technologies, in combination with very high-efficiency cells. 

Brahec CJ (2004) Organic photovoltaics technology and market. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells 83 273... 

Photovoltaic (PV) Cell An electronic device consisting of layers of semiconductor materials fabricated to form a junction (adjacent layers of materials with different electronic characteristics) and electrical contacts, capable of converting incident light directly into electricity (direct current). Photovoltaic technology works by harnessing the movement of electrons between the layers of a solar cell when the sun strikes the material. 

Photovoltaic Technology Thin-Film Products Semiconductors Photovoltaic Tents... 

Consumer Electronics Fuel-Cell Technology Communications Equipment Industrial Equipment Home Appliances Batteries Electronic Components Photovoltaic Technology Research Development... 

Figure 21 shows two prototypes of the monolithic Z-type interconnected modules, fabricated by Aisin Seiki in Japan. Note that carbon is used as a back contact to cut cost. Field tests of such modules already started several years ago and the results of these tests revealed advantages of the DSC with regards to silicon panels under realistic outdoor conditions. Thus, for equal rating under standard test conditions the DSC modules produced 20-30% more energy under real outdoor conditions than the polycrystalfine silicon (pc-Si) modules. A photograph of the test station comparing the two types of photovoltaic technologies is shown in Fig. 22. The superior performance of the DSC can be ascribed to the following factors ...

Dye-sensitized semiconductors continue to be the focus of considerable research as a consequence of their importance in photovoltaic technologies, with the theories and mechanisms behind their operation also emerging. Considerably less is known about photoinduced interfacial processes in large photochemically active adsorbates on metals. ISAs on metals are becoming increasingly prevalent and are possible precursors for suitable molecular electronic devices. It would seem likely that over the coming years fundamental studies on the photophysics and chemistry of these materials will become more widespread. 

G-15 Best research cell efficiencies for multijunction concentrator, thin-film, crystalline silicon, and emerging photovoltaic technologies, 236... 

Shah, A., P. Torres, R. Tschamer, N. Wyrsch, and H. Keppner. 1999. Photovoltaic Technology The Case for Thin-Film Solar Cells. Science, Vol. 285, pp. 692-698. 

Fig. 12. Spectral response regions for various photovoltaic technologies. CIG stands for cadmium indium gallium selenide.

R. M. Swanson, Straight Talk About Concentrators, Future Generation Photovoltaic Technologies First NREL Conference, Denver, Colorado, American Institute of Physics Conference Proceedings 404, October 1997, p. 277-284. 

R. McConnell, M. Symko-Davies, and D. Friedman, Multijunction Photovoltaic Technologies for High Performance Concentrators, Proceedings of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Waikoloa, Hawaii, May 2006. 

McConnell, R. D. Future Generation Photovoltaic Technologies First NREL Conference, Denver, CO, 1997. 

M. Graetzel, Proc. of 1 Conference of future generation photovoltaic technologies, (Denver), March 24-26, (1997). 

Photovoltaics Technology Center ITRI, 195 Chung Hsing Rd. 

Among the various materials, silicon, which accounts for more than 90% of solar cells today, is undoubtedly the key, especially if we consider a large-scale deployment. To accelerate the deployment of photovoltaic technology by development of high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells, the Institute for Materials Research (IMR), Tohoku University, organized a unique domestic workshop in 2004 and 2005 to discuss the approach from the view point of... 

Drewes, P. Spheral solar—a completely different photovoltaic technology. Proceedings of PV in Europe, Rome, Italy WIP-Munich Munich, 2002. 

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