Arno Smets

Introduction to Solar EnergyPhotovoltaics

Week 1.3

Solar cell operation

+-

+-

+ -

+-

front contact

n-typesilicon

pn junction

p-typeback contact

Solar cell operation

n-type c-Si n-type c-Si

depletion region

depletion regionp++-type Si

back contact

p-type c-Si absorber

membrane

Front contact

Solar cell operation

n-type c-Si n-type c-Si

depletion region

depletion regionp++-type Si

back contact

p-type c-Si absorber

membrane

Front contact

Solar cell operation

n-type c-Si n-type c-Si

depletion region

depletion regionp++-type Si

back contact

p-type c-Si absorber

membrane

Front contact

Solar cell operation

n-type c-Si n-type c-Si

depletion region

depletion regionp++-type Si

back contact

p-type c-Si absorber

membrane

Front contact

Present limit

5004003002001000

Cost [US$/m2]

US$ 3.5/Wp

US$ 1.0/Wp

US$ 0.5/WpUS$ 0.2/WpUS$ 0.1/Wp

II

III

100

Effi

cie

ncy

[%

] 80

60

40

20

Wp/m

²

I

oxide

p+

“inverted” pyramidsfinger

thin oxide( 200 ) p+

p+

double layerantireflectioncoating

n+ n

Source: University of New South Wales, Australia

Wafer-based crystalline silicon

Glass superstrate

TCO

Intrinsic a-Si:H

n-type

Metal electrode

p-type

Superstrate solar cellstructure

Thin-film silicon

Glass

CdS (n-type)

CdTe

(p-type)

Metal contact

TCO (ZnO:Al)

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ferriday/5815935109/

Cadmium Telluride

NiA1

TCO (ZnO:Al)

CdS (n-type)

CuInSe2

(p-type)

Mo

Glass

MgF2

TCO (intrinsic ZnO)

CIGS

Source: Fraunhofer ISE

Source: Solarmer Energy

Organic/Dye sensitized Solar Cells

III – V PV Technology

PV technologies

Down-convertor Up-convertor

pn

Rearcontact

Quantumdots

Frontcontact

a

IBC

Emerging and novel technologies

Thank you for your attention!