Related papers: Geometrical design of thin film PV modules for imp…
We analyze the problem of partial shading in monolithically integrated thin film photovoltaic (TFPV) modules, and explore how the shape and size of the shadows dictate their performance and reliability. We focus on the aspects of shading…
Thin-film solar cells that are considered as the second generation of solar cells are known for their low cost and acceptable efficiency. In this technology, semiconductor layers with a thickness of micrometer are deposited on thick enough…
A new approach is introduced to significantly improve the performance of thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems by using low-dimensional thermal emitters and photovoltaic (PV) cells. By reducing the thickness of both the emitter and the PV cell,…
The gap between cell and module efficiency is a major challenge for all photovoltaic (PV) technologies. For monolithic thin film PV modules, a significant fraction of this gap has been attributed to parasitic shunts, and other defects,…
Among several solutions to exploit solar energy, thermophotovoltaics (TPV) have been popularized and have known great breakthroughs during the past two decades. Yet, existing systems still have low efficiencies since the wavelength range of…
Thin crystalline silicon solar photovoltaics holds great potential for reducing the module price by material saving and increasing the efficiency by reduced bulk recombination loss. However, the module efficiency decreases rather…
Shading reduces the power output of a photovoltaic (PV) system. The design engineering of PV systems requires modeling and evaluating shading losses. Some PV systems are affected by complex shading scenes whose resulting PV energy losses…
Semi-transparent photovoltaics (ST-PV) provide smart spatial solutions to integrate solar cells into already-built areas. Here, we study the potential of semiconductor nanowires (NWs) as promising ST-PV. We perform FDTD simulations for…
We investigate and evaluate the contribution of the ultraviolet radiation spectrum on the temperature and efficiency of commercial crystalline silicon-based photovoltaics (PVs) that operate outdoors. The investigation is performed by…
We present a general framework for the design of thin-film photovoltaics based on a partially-disordered photonic crystal that has both enhanced absorption for light trapping and reduced sensitivity to the angle and polarization of incident…
A design tool was formulated for optimizing the efficiency of inorganic, thin-film, photovoltaic solar cells. The solar cell can have multiple semiconductor layers in addition to antireflection coatings, passivation layers, and buffer…
Photogalvanic solar cells, the original dye based solar cell, have yet to fulfill their promise as a low fabrication cost, scalable energy conversion system. The efficient performance of photogalvanic cells relies on high dye solubility and…
Designing photonic topological insulators is highly non-trivial because it requires inversion of band symmetries around the band gap, which was so far done using intuition combined with meticulous trial and error. Here we take a completely…
Polymer based organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology offers a relatively inexpensive option for solar energy conversion provided its efficiency increases beyond the current level (6-7%) along with significant improvements in operational…
The radiative cooling of objects during daytime under direct sunlight has recently been shown to be significantly enhanced by utilizing nanophotonic coatings. Multilayer thin film stacks, 2D photonic crystals, etc. as coating structures…
Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) energy conversion efficiency has recently surpassed 30%. The key behind such high efficiency is the inclusion of a highly efficient mirror in the rear of the TPV cell that turns back to the thermal emitter the…
The photoelectric conversion efficiency of a solar cell is dependent on its temperature. When the solar radiation is incident on the photovoltaics (PV) panel, a large portion of it is absorbed by the underlying material which increases its…
This paper investigates the impact of electrode geometry on the performance of polymer solar cells (PSCs). Four types of negative electrodes with equal area (0.09 cm2) but different shape (round, oval, square, and triangular) are evaluated…
With the practical efficiency of the silicon photovoltaic (PV) cell approaching its theoretical limit, pushing conversion efficiencies even higher now relies on reducing every type of power loss that can occur within the device. Limiting…
We propose a new concept for the design of high-efficiency photocells based on ultra-thin (submicron) semiconductor films of controlled thickness. Using a microscopic model of a thin dielectric layer interacting with incident…