Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wen-Jeng Ho, Jheng-Jie Liu, Bo-Xun Ke
Summary: This paper presents the optical and electrical characteristics of luminescent down-shifting (LDS) spectral conversion layers containing Eu-doped phosphors applied to silicon solar cells, and evaluates their impact on the solar cell performance. The results indicate that the LDS effects of different phosphors play a significant role in improving the efficiency of silicon solar cells.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Shehroz Razzaq, Ali Asghar, Chaogang Lou, Han Diao, Shaoqiang Huang, Yunzhen Yin
Summary: In this study, cerium doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG:Ce3+) phosphor particles of different sizes were mixed with ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) to create luminescent downshifting films, which were applied for packaging monocrystalline silicon solar cells. The luminescence, transmission, and performance of the solar cells were investigated for YAG:Ce particles with different diameters (3-5 μm, 5-8 μm, 8-10 μm, 10-15 μm, 15-20 μm, and 20-30 μm). Experimental results showed that the 15-20 μm particles exhibited the highest luminescent intensity. Additionally, films with 20-30 μm particles had the highest transmission when the phosphor to EVA mass ratio was fixed. The most significant increase in solar cell conversion efficiency after packaging was attributed to the downshifting EVA films with 15-20 μm particles. This research provides valuable insights for the future selection of downshifting phosphors for solar cells.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fatma Aouaini, Amir Maaoui, Naim Bel Haj Mohamed, Meznah M. Alanazi, Lamia Abu El Maati
Summary: A series of tellurite glasses doped with Er3+ ion were synthesized, showing low phonon energy and good thermal stability. The impact of Er2O3 content on radiative parameters was investigated, highlighting the potential applications of the glass in photonics.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bartosz Fetlinski, Sebastian Turczynski, Michal Malinowski, Pawel Szczepanski
Summary: This study investigates Ce3+ to Yb3+ energy transfer in YAM and confirms the transfer. Measurement of non-exponential decay of the Ce3+ 5d band allowed for the calculation of the theoretical quantum efficiency of the down-conversion process, while the favorable location of the Ce3+ 5d bands in YAM makes this system an ideal candidate for photovoltaic devices.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ju Won Yang, Dong In Kim, Rak Hyun Jeong, Seong Park, Jin-Hyo Boo
Summary: Organic-inorganic lead halide perovskite solar cells have excellent performance but face stability issues in the UV region. This study demonstrates that the use of a europium-complex poly(dimethylsiloxane) film can enhance the performance and stability of the cells.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Zhongyi Zhang, Jianyong Ju, Xiaoting Qin, Huizhong Yan, Menglin Shen, Chuandong Chen, Fan Na
Summary: Currently, the conversion efficiency of commercial silicon-based solar cells is low due to narrow absorption range within visible light. Up-converting or down-converting luminescent materials, especially rare earth luminescent materials doped with other rare earth elements, have shown significant improvement in conversion efficiency. This study reports the synthesis and characterization of a novel complex, Eu-Zn, which is synthesized by doping divalent Zn2+ into a trivalent Eu3+ luminescent matrix. Eu-Zn is integrated into PMMA thin films as a down-converting luminescent coating layer for monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon solar cell modules. The conversion efficiency of the solar cell modules is improved with the increase of Eu-Zn concentration.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jiayao Xu, Wei Pan, Wenzhong Shen
Summary: In this study, a MAPbBr3/PMMA hybrid film was used as a LDS layer, leading to a significant increase in the conversion efficiency of commercial silicon solar cells with optimized AR.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Martin A. A. Green, Ewan D. D. Dunlop, Masahiro Yoshita, Nikos Kopidakis, Karsten Bothe, Gerald Siefer, Xiaojing Hao
Summary: This article presents consolidated tables showing the highest independently confirmed efficiencies for solar cells and modules. The guidelines for including results into these tables are outlined, and new entries since January 2023 are reviewed.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Martin A. Green, Ewan D. Dunlop, Jochen Hohl-Ebinger, Masahiro Yoshita, Nikos Kopidakis, Xiaojing Hao
Summary: This article presents consolidated tables showing the highest independently confirmed efficiencies for solar cells and modules, with guidelines outlined for inclusion of results into these tables and a review of new entries since June 2021.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Martin A. Green, Ewan D. Dunlop, Jochen Hohl-Ebinger, Masahiro Yoshita, Nikos Kopidakis, Xiaojing Hao
Summary: This article presents consolidated tables showing the highest confirmed efficiencies for solar cells and modules, along with guidelines for inclusion of results and a review of new entries since January 2021.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Martin A. Green, Ewan D. Dunlop, Gerald Siefer, Masahiro Yoshita, Nikos Kopidakis, Karsten Bothe, Xiaojing Hao
Summary: This article presents consolidated tables that provide an extensive listing of the highest independently confirmed efficiencies for solar cells and modules. It outlines the guidelines for including results into these tables and reviews new entries since July 2022. The article also includes graphs showing the progress of each cell technology over the past 30 years and an updated list of designated test centers.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Martin Green, Ewan Dunlop, Jochen Hohl-Ebinger, Masahiro Yoshita, Nikos Kopidakis, Xiaojing Hao
Summary: This article presents consolidated tables showing the highest independently confirmed efficiencies for solar cells and modules, including guidelines for inclusion of results and reviewing new entries since June 2020. It also includes charts showing efficiency improvements since 1993 and an updated list of recognized test centers.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Martin A. Green, Ewan D. Dunlop, Jochen Hohl-Ebinger, Masahiro Yoshita, Nikos Kopidakis, Karsten Bothe, David Hinken, Michael Rauer, Xiaojing Hao
Summary: This article presents consolidated tables showing the highest independently confirmed efficiencies for solar cells and modules. The guidelines for including results in these tables are outlined, and new entries since January 2022 are reviewed. An appendix describing temporary electrical contacting methods and terminology for large-area solar cells is also included.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Roberto Bernal-Correa, Arturo Morales-Acevedo, Jorge Montes-Monsalve
Summary: Technological developments for improving the performance of conventional solar cells have been of great interest, and one attractive option is the use of Luminescent Down-Shifting Layers (LDS) to increase photon flux density and photo-current density. This work focuses on developing a theoretical model to determine the cell's illumination current density with the insertion of an optimized LDS layer. The correct selection of such a layer can significantly enhance the solar cell's efficiency, as demonstrated with a potential 21% increase for a CdTe solar cell with a Lu3Al5O12:Ce3+ layer.
Article
Thermodynamics
Khuram Pervez Amber, Waseem Akram, Muhammad Anser Bashir, Muhammad Sajid Khan, Anila Kousar
Summary: This study experimentally evaluated the performance of a locally developed passive cooling technique on photovoltaic modules, finding that modules with rectangular fins dissipated more heat, generated more power, and had a higher efficiency compared to modules with circular fins, which had a weaker cooling effect.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Shahriyar Safat Dipta, Md Habibur Rahaman, Walia Binte Tarique, Ashraful Hossain Howlader, Ayush Pratik, John A. Stride, Ashraf Uddin
Summary: Implementing a double-sided passivation approach can enhance the performance of n-i-p structured PSCs and improve the stability and photovoltaic properties of the cells.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Daniel Ourinson, Andreas Brand, Andreas Lorenz, Marwan Dhamrin, Sebastian Tepner, Michael Linse, Nathalie Goettlicher, Kosuke Tsuji, Jonas D. Huyeng, Florian Clement
Summary: This work presents two approaches to reduce the amount of silver on the rear side of M2-sized industrial iTOPCon solar cells. The Cu-based approach shows promise with similar power conversion efficiency compared to the conventional approach, while the Al-based approach exhibits some limitations but demonstrates the potential of such type of contact for iTOPCon solar cells.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Abasifreke Ebong, Donald Intal, Sandra Huneycutt, Thad Druffel, Ruvini Dharmadasa, Kevin Elmer, Apolo Nambo
Summary: This study demonstrates the successful metallization of a PERC silicon solar cell using screen-printable copper (Cu) paste. The Cu paste contains antioxidant additives and diffusion inhibitors to prevent oxidation and diffusion of Cu. The Cu-printed cells achieved an efficiency of 19% and showed no Cu diffusion after characterization tests. The long-term stability and effectiveness of the Cu diffusion barrier were also confirmed.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Senami Zogbo, Wilfried Favre, Olivier Bonino, Marie-Estelle Gueunier-Farret
Summary: Measuring specific contact resistivity (pc) is crucial for interface engineering in high efficiency solar cells. The Transfer Length Method (TLM) is commonly used for evaluating layer sheet resistance (Rsheet) and pc, but it is not suitable for metal/Transparent Conductive Oxide (TCO) interface evaluation in silicon heterojunction (SHJ) cells. This study investigates the parameters that restrict current confinement within the TCO, including mid-gap trap density (Dit) at the a-Si:H/c-Si interface and the activation energy (Ea = Ec - EF) variation of a-Si:H contact layers.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jean-Baptiste Charpentier, Philippe Voarino, Julien Gaume
Summary: The phenomenon of ribbon lengthening in PV modules exposed to thermal cycling is not well explained in the literature. In this study, a three layers model is proposed to explain this effect, and the predictions of the model are validated through finite element method simulations and experiments. The results show that the model predictions are consistent with the indirect measurements, but not with the direct measurements. Additionally, it is inferred that the encapsulant plays a role after the solder failure.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jean-Baptiste Charpentier, Philippe Voarino, Julien Gaume
Summary: This study investigates the problematic ribbon lengthening observed in PV modules exposed to high amplitude thermal cycling. A simplified system model is proposed and accurate predictions are obtained using the Finite Element Method. The results show that the thickness of the encapsulant has a substantial impact on the lengthening of the ribbons.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
S. Catalan-Gomez, E. Martinez Castellano, M. Schwarz, M. Montes Bajo, L. Dorado Vargas, A. Gonzalo, A. Redondo-Cubero, A. Gallego Carro, A. Hierro, J. M. Ulloa
Summary: This study investigates the use of core-shell gallium nanoparticles as functional light scatterers on solar cells. By optimizing the nanoparticle size, the short-circuit current of the solar cells is significantly improved. The underlying physical mechanism is studied through optical measurements and simulations, and a method to reduce the plasmonic effect of the nanoparticles is demonstrated.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
M. Gamel, G. Lopez, A. M. Medrano, A. Jimenez, A. Datas, M. Garin, I. Martin
Summary: In this study, a highly reflective ohmic contact to p-type c-Ge material is demonstrated, which can improve the efficiency of thermophotovoltaic devices. The experimental results show that this contact can simultaneously meet the requirements of good back surface passivation, low electrical resistivity, and high reflectivity. Moreover, simulations suggest that implementing these back contacts has the potential to achieve conversion efficiencies comparable to high-efficiency c-Ge TPV cells.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hongyang Wei, Qing Xu, Dongchu Chen, Min Chen, Menglei Chang, Xiufang Ye
Summary: This study prepared solar selective absorption films based on anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) photonic crystals using a unique electrodeposition method. The Co-Ag electrodeposited film exhibited superior solar selective absorption properties and thermal stability.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ankit Kumar, Ankit Chauhan, Jordi Llobet, Helder Fonseca, Patricia C. Sousa, Carlos Calaza, Gil Shalev
Summary: This study found that decorating subwavelength arrays with SiO2 quasi-nanolenses (qNL arrays) can enhance the absorption of the solar spectrum. Optical absorption mechanisms in qNL arrays were investigated using near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM), revealing that the enhancement is a result of the combination of effective antireflection coating, increased optical interactions between adjacent dielectrics for elevated light trapping, and strong light concentration due to the presence of qNLs.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
S. Pingel, T. Wenzel, N. Goettlicher, M. Linse, L. Folcarelli, J. Schube, S. Hoffmann, S. Tepner, Y. C. Lau, J. Huyeng, A. Lorenz, F. Clement
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential to reduce silver consumption in highly efficient SHJ cells through fine-line screen printing using low temperature paste with various screens. The results show that using finer mesh allows for narrower grid fingers and lower resistance, leading to improved cell efficiency. Simulation results indicate that module wire configuration is crucial for reducing silver consumption.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Xibo He, Jun Qiu, Wei Wang, Yicheng Hou, Yong Shuai
Summary: This paper proposes a novel phase change material with high thermal conductivity and stability for fast photo-thermal conversion and storage. The experimental results demonstrate excellent durability and stability of the phase change material, with good performance in thermal conductivity and thermal storage efficiency.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Qingyuan Liu, Lin Wang, Zheng Liu, Guohua Liu
Summary: A new evaporating structure consisting of liquid marble with tunable nanowire array is proposed to enhance solar evaporation. The experiments show that the liquid marble with nanowire array exhibits outstanding evaporation performance, which has significant implications for seawater desalination or wastewater treatment.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hao Liu, Qiming Liu, Jinpei Liu, Yonggang Zhao, Yingjie Yu, Yue An, Ganghui Wei, Yanzheng Li, Yujun Fu, Junshuai Li, Deyan He
Summary: Moisture in the air is identified as the main cause of performance degradation in organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells. Exposure to air leads to the growth of thin oxide layer on the interface and the formation of silver sulfide, increasing the series resistance and decreasing the fill factor, thus degrading the cell performance.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)
Article
Energy & Fuels
E. Blanco, P. Martin, M. Dominguez, P. Fernandez-Palacios, I. Lombardero, C. Sanchez-Perez, I. Garcia, C. Algora, M. Gabas
Summary: This study addresses the lack of optical parameters for p-type Ge wafers by determining the complex refractive indices of commercial Ge wafers with varying doping levels. The obtained data successfully reproduces the critical points associated with interband transitions and absorption features below the bandgap. The refractive indices were validated through experimental measurements and solar cell simulations.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2024)