Arno Smets

Introduction to Solar Energy

Photovoltaics
Week 1.3
Solar cell operation
+ -
+
-
+
-
+
-
front contact
n-type
silicon
pn junction
p-type
back contact
Solar cell operation
n-type c-Si n-type c-Si
depletion region
depletion region
p++-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 region
p++-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 region
p++-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 region
p++-type Si
back contact
p-type c-Si absorber
membrane
Front contact
Present limit
500 400 300 200 100 0
Cost [US$/m
2
]
US$ 3.5/W
p
US$ 1.0/W
p
US$ 0.5/W
p
US$ 0.2/W
p
US$ 0.1/W
p
II
III
100
E
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
c
y


[
%
]
80
60
40
20
W
p
/
m

I
oxide
p+
inverted pyramids
finger
thin oxide
( 200 ) p+
p+
double layer
antireflection
coating
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 cell
structure
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)
CuInSe
2
(p-type)
Mo
Glass
MgF
2
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
p n
Rear
contact
Quantum
dots
Front
contact
a
IBC
Emerging and novel technologies
Thank you for your attention!