Silicon photovoltaic cells

Americans D. M. Chapin, C. S. Fuller, and G. L Pearson develop the silicon photovoltaic cell. 

Figure 4.26 Generic structure of a single crystal silicon photovoltaic cell.

Another solar firm, SolFocus (www.solfocus.coml has developed solar arrays that use just one-thousandth as much semiconductor material as standard solar panels. The arrays are set with curved mirrors that focus sunlight onto solar cells measuring one-square centimeter, which concentrates the light 500 times. These cells efficiency is greater than 38%, compared to the 13% to 19% efficiency for silicon photovoltaic cells. SolFocus projects that costs per kilowatt-hour will fall from 24 to 28 cents in 2008 to 13 to 14 cents by 2010. 

M.A. Green (2001) Advanced Materials, vol. 13, p. 1019 - Crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells . 

Silicon photovoltaic cells, although more efficient, are expensive to produce and would have to cover large land masses in order to produce sufficient quantities of solar-powered electricity. For example, to replace the 2000 MW power station at Didcot, Oxfordshire in the UK with photovoltaic solar cells would require a land area of about 16 km. ... 

Fukuda, T., Kato, S., Kin, E., Okaniwa, K., Morikawa, H., Honda, Z., and Kamata, N. (2009) Wavelength conversion film with glass coated Eu chelate for enhanced silicon-photovoltaic cell performance. Opt. Mater., 32, 22-25. 

Figure 15.4. Silicon photovoltaic cell. Image from http //www,blueplanet-energy.com/lmages/ solar/PV-ho w lt works, gif.

---