Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mohammad Khairul Basher, Mohammad Nur-E-Alam, Md Momtazur Rahman, Steven Hinckley, Kamal Alameh
Summary: Building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems have the potential to significantly reduce the use of fossil fuels and achieve net-zero energy building goals. This study addresses the limitations of current BIPV systems in terms of visual appearance and efficiency. By developing multi-colored photovoltaic modules, the researchers were able to create aesthetically attractive modules with higher efficiency, suitable for modern infrastructures.
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Matheus Rabelo, Hasnain Yousuf, Yewon Cha, Vinh-Ai Dao, Youngkuk Kim, Duy Phong Pham, Junsin Yi
Summary: Experimental and numerical analysis showed that power reduction in silicon photovoltaic modules occurs faster in acidic environments than in pure water, with over 60% power loss in all environments after 144 hours. Particularly, a high acetic acid concentration of 20 wt% led to a rapid power loss of over 40% after just 48 hours. The corrosion of rear aluminum around the silver contact is identified as the main cause of device power losses, which can be efficiently prevented by a polymer (EPDM) without increasing production costs.
ENGINEERING FAILURE ANALYSIS
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Di Wu, Zhiheng Mo, Yanbing Han, Pei Lin, Zhifeng Shi, Xu Chen, Yongtao Tian, Xin Jian Li, Huiyu Yuan, Yuen Hong Tsang
Summary: The study successfully fabricated a PdSe2/CdTe mixed-dimensional van der Waals heterojunction capable of detecting long-wave infrared radiation at room temperature. The device has a fast response rate, high responsivity, and reasonable specific detectivity, making it suitable for detecting short pulse infrared signals and highly sensitive to polarized infrared light signals.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Michel Piliougine, Paula Sanchez-Firera, Giovanni Petrone, Francisco Jose Sanchez-Pacheco, Giovanni Spagnuolo, Mariano Sidrach-de-Cardona
Summary: The performance of four thin-film photovoltaic modules is analyzed after an initial stabilization period and an outdoor exposition, and their seasonal variations and degradation rates are examined and correlated to spectral changes. The results show that the a-Si:H module has the highest annual degradation rate, while the degradation of the CIGS module is relatively low.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Malte Ruben Vogt, Giorgos Pilis, Miro Zeman, Rudi Santbergen, Olindo Isabella
Summary: The IEC 61853 standard series does not include bifacial PV modules, but their market share has significantly increased and is projected to grow. This work demonstrates how the standard can be extended to include the energy rating of bifacial modules, and provides a tested procedure for calculating rear irradiance and bifacial energy yield.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2023)
Article
Thermodynamics
Chengyan Zhang, Jie Ji, Chuyao Wang, Wei Ke, Hao Xie, Bendong Yu
Summary: This paper investigates an integrated vacuum glazing with PV double-skin ventilated window (VPV-DSV) and compares its thermal and electrical performance with PV vacuum insulating glazing unit (VPV-IGU) through experiment and simulation. The results show that the use of vacuum glazing improves the thermal insulation of PV-DSV, but VPV-IGU outperforms VPV-DSV in terms of thermal insulation.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Vijayaraj Venkatachalam, Sasikala Ganapathy, Ilaiyaraja Perumal, N. Priyadarshini, J. S. Santhosh Jeferson Stanley
Summary: In this study, pristine cadmium telluride (CdTe) and indium (In) doped CdTe quantum dots (CdTe: In) were synthesized via an aqueous colloidal route. The concentration of InCl3 precursor was increased to increase the amount of In-doping in CdTe QDs. The chloride ions from InCl3 precursor controlled the crystal growth of CdTe QDs. The performance of Gratzel type sensitized solar cells made using these CdTe QDs was strongly influenced by In-dopant precursor concentration.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Julio Pascual, Francisco Martinez-Moreno, Miguel Garcia, Javier Marcos, Luis Marroyo, Eduardo Lorenzo
Summary: The study investigates degradation rates of PV modules in Spain and Portugal over 10 years, finding a range of 0.01% to 0.47% and an average of 0.27% per year. It highlights the importance of good operation and maintenance practices in maintaining low degradation rates.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Kristijan Brecl, Matevz Bokalic, Marko Topic
Summary: This study presents shading analyses and energy performance simulations of wafer-based silicon photovoltaic modules with cut-cells under partial shading conditions. The results show that proper layout of cut cells can significantly reduce shading losses.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Ashok Adhikari, Jorge Evaristo Conde Diaz, Odin Reyes-Vallejo, Francisco Javier Gomez Cano, Maria de la Luz Olvera Amador, Velumani Subramaniam
Summary: This research work optimized the CI(G)Se thin films using hybrid deposition method and simulated the CIGSe bilayer thin film solar cell by SCAPS-1D. The structure, composition, and conductivity of CI(G)Se were observed, as well as the effect of varying the material properties. The optimized conditions for CIGSe were determined, and the efficiency was slightly increased with an increase in CdS thickness. The experimental and theoretical results provided valuable insights for future experimental design.
MATERIALS TODAY COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Adam B. Phillips, Jared D. Friedl, Philip Ottinger, Steven L. Carter, Zhaoning Song, Abasi Abudulimu, Ebin Bastola, Deng-Bing Li, Yanfa Yan, Randy J. Ellingson, Michael J. Heben
Summary: Numerical modeling is used to investigate the performance of bifacial thin film solar cells under front, back, and simultaneous illumination through both interfaces. It is found that downward band bending near the back interface is reduced under low carrier concentration conditions, but still affects minority carrier distribution at relatively high doping conditions. The power generated under bifacial illumination exceeds the sum of power from solely front or back illumination, and the performance is independent of the angle of light entering the back interface. However, under real-world albedo conditions, significant loss in frontside power generation is difficult to overcome with back illumination.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Viktor Djurberg, Saman Majdi, Nattakarn Suntornwipat, Jan Isberg
Summary: The study investigates the effect of photoexcitation on electron transport properties in chlorine doped single crystalline cadmium telluride, revealing that the electron drift mobility is affected by the excitation energy and impurity and shallow trap concentrations can be determined by this method. The research demonstrates the method's high sensitivity in measuring very low impurity levels and identifying dominant scattering mechanisms.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Wei-Sheng Chen, Yen-Jung Chen, Cheng-Han Lee, Yi-Jin Cheng, Yu-An Chen, Fan-Wei Liu, Yi-Chung Wang, Yu-Lun Chueh
Summary: This research provides an efficient recycling process for valuable materials sourced from waste crystalline-silicon PV modules, including Si, Ag, Cu, Pb, and Sn. The process involves separating the module into PV ribbon and PV cell, purifying Si with a purity of 99.84% and obtaining purified metal or metal oxide through various processes for Ag, Cu, Pb, and Sn, resulting in high purities of final products.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Rahimat O. Yakubu, Maame T. Ankoh, Lena D. Mensah, David A. Quansah, Muyiwa S. Adaramola
Summary: The study compared the potential energy yield of bifacial PV systems of various configurations in West African climatic conditions using analytical models, field-measured data, and simulations. Results showed that the inclined south-facing bifacial system had the highest average gains in energy yield.
Article
Optics
Ashok Adhikari, Odin Reyes Vallejo, Jorge Evaristo Conde Diaz, Jacobo Martinez-Reyes, Francisco Javier Cano, Maria de la Luz Olvera Amador, Velumani Subramaniam
Summary: The CI(G)Se-based TFSCs have attracted attention in the photovoltaic market due to their potential for high efficiency at low cost. This research simulated the CI(G)Se TFSCs and optimized parameters to achieve high efficiency. Results showed that using two absorber layers in CI(G)Se TFSCs improved device performance. Additionally, better results were obtained at a lower work temperature.
OPTICS AND LASER TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Benjamin Lipovsek, Marko Jost, Spela Tomsic, Marko Topic
Summary: The study developed and validated an energy yield model for planar perovskite solar cells, identifying key parameters and their interdependencies affecting energy yield through sensitivity analysis; solar irradiance and temperature were found to have the most significant impact on energy yield. External light management foils can improve the device's energy yield, with tetrahedral texture being the optimal choice for achieving the highest energy yield gains.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Kristijan Brecl, Marko Jost, Matevz Bokalic, Jernej Ekar, Janez Kovac, Marko Topic
Summary: The research shows that perovskite solar cells exhibit high PID resistance under +/-500 V bias, but rapid degradation is observed with -1000 V bias due to the ingress of sodium ions. Positively biased devices show no degradation under high voltage exposure, indicating promising signs for current PV system designs.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Katerina Nikolaidou, Pedro G. M. Condelipes, Catarina R. F. Caneira, Maximilian Krack, Pedro M. Fontes, Hugo M. Oliveira, Milan Kovacic, Janez Krc, Marko Topic, Susana Cardoso, Paulo P. Freitas, Virginia Chu, Joao Pedro Conde
Summary: Highly selective optical interference filters are integrated with photosensors for fluorescence measurements in lab-on-chip applications. The filters are designed to match the requirements of each application and fabricated as nitride-oxide multilayers. They are combined with hydrogenated amorphous silicon-carbon alloys to serve as absorption filters for different spectral requirements. These integrated filters enable simplified and portable measurement setups for fluorescence applications.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Kristijan Brecl, Julian Ascencio-Vasquez, Marko Topic
Summary: This study proposes a methodology to evaluate the performance of photovoltaic systems using only produced energy data and rated power. The study employs an algorithm to automatically detect orientation/inclination angles and utilizes the Typical Daily Profiles (TDP) method for accurate evaluation. The case study of 957 PV systems in Slovenia reveals an average performance ratio exceeding 85% and an average rated power degradation rate of -0.7% per year.
Article
Materials Science, Characterization & Testing
Robert Heidrich, Anton Mordvinkin, Ralph Gottschalg
Summary: The reliability of polymeric encapsulants is ensured by using appropriate additives, particularly UV absorbers and UV stabilizers, to protect them from solar radiation. This study presents a new method for quantitative additive characterization using pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (PY-GCMS), which allows for qualitative analysis and additive quantification based on solvent-free sample preparation. The method was validated using polymer film samples with different additive concentrations, demonstrating the ability to detect all admixed additives. Calibration with reference samples was required due to the different desorption behavior of UV protecting additives dissolved in n-hexane compared to those bound inside the polymer matrix. The accurate determination of mass fractions of UV absorber and UV stabilizer was achieved using verification samples and a commercial polymer film. The methodology developed in this work is likely applicable to other encapsulants and additive compositions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Spela Tomsic, Marko Jost, Kristijan Brecl, Marko Topic, Benjamin Lipovsek
Summary: This study presents a comprehensive algorithm for calculating the energy yield (EY) of PV devices under realistic operation conditions by considering optical modeling, opto-thermo-electrical characterization, and environmental factors. The analysis and optimization of perovskite-silicon tandem devices are conducted for long-term electrical energy production at different geographical locations. The results show that the optimal perovskite bandgap (E-G,E-PK) is primarily influenced by the spectral distribution of incident irradiance and not significantly affected by operating temperature, providing important insights for rapid tandem design.
ADVANCED THEORY AND SIMULATIONS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nancy M. Haegel, Pierre Verlinden, Marta Victoria, Pietro Altermatt, Harry Atwater, Teresa Barnes, Christian Breyer, Chris Case, Stefaan De Wolf, Chris Deline, Marwan Dharmrin, Bernhard Dimmler, Markus Gloeckler, Jan Christoph Goldschmidt, Brett Hallam, Sophia Haussener, Burkhard Holder, Ulrich Jaeger, Arnulf Jaeger-Waldau, Izumi Kaizuka, Hiroshi Kikusato, Benjamin Kroposki, Sarah Kurtz, Koji Matsubara, Stefan Nowak, Kazuhiko Ogimoto, Christian Peter, Ian Marius Peters, Simon Philipps, Michael Powalla, Uwe Rau, Thomas Reindl, Maria Roumpani, Keiichiro Sakurai, Christian Schorn, Peter Schossig, Rutger Schlatmann, Ron Sinton, Abdelilah Slaoui, Brittany L. Smith, Peter Schneidewind, B. J. Stanbery, Marko Topic, William Tumas, Juzer Vasi, Matthias Vetter, Eicke Weber, A. W. Weeber, Anke Weidlich, Dirk Weiss, Andreas W. Bett
Article
Energy & Fuels
Muhammad Zahid Khan, Ali Manzar, Guido Willers, Volker Naumann, Christian Hagendorf, Ralph Gottschalg, Klemens Ilse
Summary: This study investigates the complexity of natural soiling and its influencing factors, such as weather conditions, dust type, and surface properties. Through laboratory and outdoor tests, the impact of various factors on glass surfaces with and without antisoiling coatings is examined. The findings reveal the importance of particle rebound, natural convection, thermophoresis, capillary condensation, and surface adhesion in understanding and interpreting soiling effects.
IEEE JOURNAL OF PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Peter Hacke, Michael Owen-Bellini, Michael D. Kempe, Dana B. Sulas-Kern, David C. Miller, Marko Jankovec, Stefan Mitterhofer, Marko Topic, Sergiu Spataru, William Gambogi, Tadanori Tanahashi
Summary: Combined-accelerated stress testing (C-AST) is used to evaluate the durability of photovoltaic (PV) products, especially for unknown degradation modes. It aims to represent the sample, stress factors, and their combinations by using statistical tails of the natural environment. The acceleration factors for relevant climate sequences within the C-AST cycle are estimated for selected degradation mechanisms.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Muhammad Zahid Khan, Guido Willers, Abdullah Ali Alowais, Volker Naumann, Mark Mirza, Erik Grunwald, Hussam Qasem, Ralph Gottschalg, Klemens Ilse
Summary: High levels of airborne dust, dust storms, and infrequent rain events in desert areas greatly reduce the energy yield of photovoltaic modules. Efforts are being made to find effective and economically feasible strategies to mitigate soiling, such as innovative tracking and anti-soiling coatings. Outdoor exposure tests in Saudi Arabia show that both methods significantly reduce soiling, with the combined solution of anti-soiling coatings and vertical night stowage achieving an 85% reduction.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
M. Ignacia Devoto Acevedo, Stephan Grosser, Karl Wienands, Tudor Timofte, Andreas Halm, Ralph Gottschalg, Daniel Tune
Summary: The contact resistivity plays a significant role in the performance of solar module interconnects. However, accurately measuring the contact resistivity for interconnects based on electrically conductive adhesive (ECA) is challenging. This study demonstrates that transmission line method (TLM) test structures based on ECA exhibit non-negligible inhomogeneities, leading to inaccuracies in determining the contact resistivity. The analysis of four commercially available ECAs used in solar modules reveals that even without macroscale inhomogeneities, microscopic structural effects affect the sheet and contact resistance, particularly due to variations in filler distribution.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Dan Wu, Patrick Wessel, Jiang Zhu, Daniel Montiel-Chicharro, Thomas R. Betts, Anton Mordvinkin, Ralph Gottschalg
Summary: This paper investigates the effects of lamination parameters on the stability of encapsulant materials and evaluates the lamination stability using multiple indicators. The results show that increasing curing level can enhance lamination stability, but excessively high curing level can lead to the formation of voids and increased instability.
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Biomedical
Milan Kovacic, Janez Krc, Marko Topic
Summary: External light-outcoupling structures in OLEDs are an efficient solution to improve optical performance. The effects of different external textures on outcoupling efficiency were investigated using advanced optical simulations. Optimized external texture and OLED stack thickness can achieve over 62% outcoupling efficiency. Interestingly, the same texture shape can achieve the highest efficiencies regardless of the dipole orientation.
ORGANIC ELECTRONICS AND PHOTONICS: FUNDAMENTALS AND DEVICES III
(2022)
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Felix Bouchard, Milan Kovacic, Dinara Samigullina, Janez Krc, Benjamin Lipovsek, Marcos Soldera, Robert Baumann, Sebastian Reineke, Marko Topic, Andres Fabian Lasagni
Summary: This study demonstrates a low-cost strategy to fabricate hierarchically textured polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films with multiple functionalities. The textured surfaces showed increased water contact angle and were used as out-coupling layers in OLEDs, resulting in a potential increase in device efficiency. These findings highlight the importance of surface structures in enhancing the performance of optoelectronic devices.
LASER-BASED MICRO- AND NANOPROCESSING XVI
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Jost Balent, Marko Topic, Janez Krc
Summary: This paper investigates the effects of temperature variation on the performance of silicon heterojunction solar cells using opto-electrical simulations. The results show that the cell efficiency at low temperatures is determined by the fill factor, while at high temperatures, it depends on the open-circuit voltage. The study reveals that poor tunnelling at the ITO/p-a-Si:H heterojunction causes a decrease in the fill factor at low temperatures. The authors demonstrate that adjusting the electron affinity of the ITO layers can improve the temperature behavior of efficiency. Additionally, the thermal energy (kT) is found to be the main factor determining the efficiency temperature behavior.
OPTO-ELECTRONICS REVIEW
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Siddharth Sradhasagar, Omkar Subhasish Khuntia, Srikanta Biswal, Sougat Purohit, Amritendu Roy
Summary: In this study, machine learning models were developed to predict the bandgap and its character of double perovskite materials, with LGBMRegressor and XGBClassifier models identified as the best predictors. These models were further employed to predict the bandgap of novel bismuth-based transition metal oxide double perovskites, showing high accuracy, especially in the range of 1.2-1.8 eV.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Wei Shuai, Haoran Xu, Baoyang Luo, Yihui Huang, Dong Chen, Peiwang Zhu, Gang Xiao
Summary: In this study, a hybrid model based on numerical simulation and deep learning is proposed for the optimization and operation of solar receivers. By applying the model to different application scenarios and considering multiple performance objectives, small errors are achieved and optimal structure parameters and heliostat scales are identified. This approach is not only applicable to gas turbines but also heating systems.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mubashar Ali, Zunaira Bibi, M. W. Younis, Muhammad Mubashir, Muqaddas Iqbal, Muhammad Usman Ali, Muhammad Asif Iqbal
Summary: This study investigates the structural, mechanical, and optoelectronic properties of the BaCuF3 fluoroperovskite using the first-principles modelling approach. The stability and characteristics of different cubic structures of BaCuF3 are evaluated, and the alpha-BaCuF3 and beta-BaCuF3 compounds are found to be mechanically stable with favorable optical properties for solar cells and high-frequency UV applications.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Dong Le Khac, Shahariar Chowdhury, Asmaa Soheil Najm, Montri Luengchavanon, Araa mebdir Holi, Mohammad Shah Jamal, Chin Hua Chia, Kuaanan Techato, Vidhya Selvanathan
Summary: A novel recycling system is proposed in this study to decompose and reclaim the constituent materials of organic-inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs). By utilizing a one-step solution process extraction approach, the chemical composition of each layer is successfully preserved, enabling their potential reuse. The proposed recycling technique helps mitigate pollution risks, minimize waste generation, and reduce recycling costs.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Peijie Lin, Feng Guo, Xiaoyang Lu, Qianying Zheng, Shuying Cheng, Yaohai Lin, Zhicong Chen, Lijun Wu, Zhuang Qian
Summary: This paper proposes an open-set fault diagnosis model for PV arrays based on 1D VoVNet-SVDD. The model accurately diagnoses various types of faults and is capable of identifying unknown fault types.
