Photovoltaics current applications

Photovoltaic systems for specific applications are produced by connecting individual modules in series and parallel to provide the desired voltage and current (Figure 4). Each module is constructed of individual solar cells also connected in series and parallel. Modules are typically available in ratings from a few peak watts to 250 peak watts. 

SMUD s approach introduced another distributed application concept for PV, called building integrated photovoltaics or BIPV. Currently Japan has one of the largest BIPV programs, started in 1996. The sim-... 

Ideally, all photons with a wavelength of about 900 nm or shorter should be harvested and converted to electric current. This limit is derived from thermodynamic considerations showing that the conversion efficiency of any single-junction photovoltaic solar converter peaks at approximately 33% near the threshold energy of lAeV.1 2 There are numerous ways to convert the solar radiation directly into electrical power or chemical fuel. The silicon solar cell is the most efficient in this respect. Nevertheless, the capital cost of such devices is not attractive for large-scale applications. 

The incident monochromatic photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE), also called external quantum efficiency, is defined as the number of electrons generated by light in the external circuit divided by the number of incident photons as a function of excitation wavelength. It is expressed in Equation (7).29 In most cases, the photoaction spectrum overlaps with the absorption spectrum of the sensitizer adsorbed on the semiconductor surface. A high IPCE is a prerequisite for high-power photovoltaic applications, which depends on the sensitizer photon absorption, excited state electron injection, and electron transport to the terminals ... 

PAH chemistry is of practical as well as theoretical interest. PAHs can be regarded as well defined subunits of graphite, an important industrial material, which is so far not totally understood at the macroscopic level. In this context, it is our aim to delineate the molecular size at which the electronic properties of PAHs converge to those of graphite. Furthermore, alkyl substituted derivatives of hexabenzocoronene (HBC) form discotic mesophases and, therefore, provide opportunities for materials which allow one-dimensional transport processes along their columnar axis [83,84]. Their application for photovoltaics and Xerox processes is also of current interest. 

Selenium has many industrial uses, particularly electronic and solid-state applications, which have increased phenomenally in recent years. This is attributed to its unique properties (1) it converts light directly to electricity (photovoltaic action) (2) its electrical resistance decreases with increased illumination (photoconductivity) and (3) it is able to convert alternating current to direct current. 

As mentioned earlier, the DSSC is a very attractive and promising device for solar cell applications that has been intensively investigated worldwide, and its photovoltaic mechanism has also intensively investigated [11-20]. Moreover, commercial applications of the DSSC have been under investigation. In this chapter, we describe the DSSC, including its component materials, structure, working mechanism, efficient preparation procedure, current researches, and long-term stabilities. We also introduce the subjects for improvement of its performance and commercial applications. 

Phthalocyanines possess intense absorption bands in the near-IR region and are known for their excellent stability, rendering them attractive for photovoltaic applications [62]. They have been repeatedly tested in the past as sensitizers of wide-band-gap oxide semiconductors and obtained poor incident photon-to-electric current conversion yields remaining under 1%, which is insufficient for... 

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