Solar energy photovoltaics applications

A future trend in the electricity supply industry, much discussed, is a move towards distributed (local) generation. This might be based on combined heat and power (CHP) schemes that would employ gas microturbines or gas engines, on solar energy (photovoltaic, solar—thermal) or on wind turbines. Most of the renewables are best utilized on a small-scale, local basis. Distributed generation is applicable in both semi-urban areas and in remote locations and may be the answer for many of those who currently are isolated from mains supplies. Sadly, often these people cannot afford such technology and their economic position is unlikely to improve until they do have access to electricity and fuels. 

This type of sensitizer opens up new avenues for improving the near-IR response of dye-sensitized solar cells. In addition, important applications can be foreseen for the development of photovoltaic windows transmitting part of the visible light. Such devices would remain transparent to the eye, while absorbing enough solar energy photons in the near IR to render efficiencies acceptable for practical applications. 

While the application of photovoltaic cells has been dominated by solid-state junction devices principally made from silicon, recent work in this field offers the prospect of efficient solar-energy conversion by novel methods. 

For reviews of photovoltaic principles and applications, consult Merrigan, J.A., "Sunlight to Electricity - Prospects for Solar Energy Conversion by Photovoltaics", MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., 1975 "Solar Cells", C.E. Backus, ed.,... 

Pechy P, Renouard T, Zakeeruddin SM et al (2001) Engineering of efficient panchromatic sensitizers for nanocrystalline Ti02-based solar cells. J Am Chem Soc 123 1613-1624 Zhu H, Wei J, Wang K et al (2009) Applications of carbon materials in photovoltaic solar cells. Solar Energy Mater Solar Cells 93 1461-1470... 

P. A. lies, Workshop Proceedings on Photovoltaic Conversion of Solar Energy and Terrestrial Application, Cherry Hill, October 1973, p. 71. 

Specifically, energy- and charge-transfer properties of several different molecular-wire systems have been studied within the framework of photoinduced charge separation and solar-energy conversion. Up front, the conductance behavior of wire-like molecules was of particular interest. Such features have been carefully examined in view of possible applications in the fields of molecular electronics and/or photovoltaic devices. Among the tested systems, 7t-conjugation played a crucial role. 

The development of functional supramolecular devices remains mainly conceptual. However, photovoltaic devices are one of the few exceptions. Dye-sensitized nanocrystalline semiconductor materials have received significant interest as a result of their application in solar energy conversion. 

While there is tremendous potential for solar energy to contribute substantially to the future carbon free power needs, none of the routes listed above are currently competitive with fossil fuels from cost, reliability, and performance perspectives. Photovoltaic solar cells have been around for decades and have been widely dep loyed in space vehicles. Terrestrially, their utilization thus far has been limited to niche applications or remote locales where less expensive electricity is not available. Costs for turnkey installations were 6 10 times more expensive in 1999 for solar... 

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