Related papers: Solar Thermoradiative-Photovoltaic Energy Conversi…
We demonstrate a microwave power-to-electrical energy conversion in a resonator-coupled double quantum dot. The system, operated as a photodiode, converts individual microwave photons to electrons tunneling through the double dot, resulting…
Climate changes and its many associated impacts are one of the most critical global challenges. Photovoltaics has been instrumental in mitigation of CO$_2$ through the generation of electricity. However, the goal of limiting global warming…
This invention deals with the broad general concept for focussing light. A mini-optics tracking and focussing system is presented for solar power conversion that ranges from an individual's portable system to solar conversion of electrical…
We evaluate near-field thermophotovoltaic (TPV) energy conversion systems focusing in particular on their open-circuit voltage (Voc). Unlike previous analyses based largely on numerical simulations with fluctuational electrodynamics, here,…
A high theoretical efficiency of 47.2% was achieved by a novel combination of In0.51Ga0.49P, GaAs, In0.24Ga0.76As and In0.19Ga0.81Sb subcell layers in a simulated quadruple junction solar cell under 1 sun concentration. The electronic…
A new composite heat transfer fluid consisting of tetralin and fullerene has been proposed for photovoltaic thermal hybrid solar harvesting. It features a unique absorption spectrum that is capable of sharply cutting off solar energy…
Space applications require the highest performing photovoltaic devices. Typically these are multi-junction devices that are capable of converting a larger bandwidth of the solar spectrum. However, the conversion of longer wavelength photons…
Power-conversion efficiency is a critical factor for the wider adoption of solar-cell modules. Thin-film solar cells are cheap and easy to manufacture, but their efficiencies are low compared to crystalline-silicon solar cells and need to…
We propose a charge pump which converts solar energy into DC electricity. It is based on cyclic changes in the spontaneous electric polarization of a photoferroelectric material, which allows a transfer of charge from a low to a high…
We present a systematic optimization of nighttime thermoelectric power generation system utilizing radiative cooling. We show that an electrical power density over 2 W/m2, two orders of magnitude higher than the previously reported…
Thermophotovoltaics are promising solid-state energy converters for a variety of applications such as grid-scale energy storage, concentrating solar-thermal power, and waste heat recovery. Here, we report the design, fabrication, and…
The photovoltaic solar cell is a mature technology, with silicon-based technologies deployed at scale, yet current technologies are limited by the Shockley-Queisser thermodynamic limit, known since the early 1960s. The single-junction…
The maximum efficiency for photovoltaic (PV) and thermoelectric generator (TEG) systems without concentration is investigated. Both a combined system where the TEG is mounted directly on the back of the PV and a tandem system where the…
We obtain theoretical expressions for the photocurrent in the Heterojunction solar cells with Intrinsic Thin layer (HIT cells). Our calculations take into account tunneling of electrons and holes through wide-bandgap layers of $\alpha$-Si:H…
Organic heterojunction solar cells are analyzed within a minimal model that includes the essential physical features of such systems. The dynamical properties of this model, calculated using a master equation approach, account for the…
Recent success in synthesizing thermally stable nanofluids at low costs is a significant breakthrough in the evolution of volumetric absorption based solar thermal systems. However, we have yet not been able to clearly identify the range of…
Parabolic solar dish concentrator with sphere receiver is less studied. We present an analytic function to calculate the intercept factor of the system with real sun bright distribution and Gaussian distribution, the results indicate that…
Although spectrally selective materials play a key role in existing and emerging solar thermal technologies, temperature-related degradation currently limits their use to below 700C in vacuum, and even lower temperatures in air. Here we…
We study how much the efficiency of a solar cell as a quantum heat engine could be enhanced by quantum coherence. In contrast to the conventional approach that a quantum heat engine is in thermal equilibrium with both hot and cold…
We study the nonequilibrium steady state thermodynamics of a photodevice which can operate as a solar cell or a photoconductor, depending on the degree of asymmetry of the junction. The thermodynamic efficiency is captured by a single…