Thin-film micro-concentrator solar cells

Planar micro-optic solar concentrator.

We present a new approach to solar concentration where sunlight collected by each lens in a two-dimensional lens array is coupled into a shared, planar waveguide using localized features placed at each lens focus. This geometry yields a thin, flat profile for moderate concentration systems which may be fabricated by low-cost roll manufacture. We provide analyses of tradeoffs and show optimized ...

Thin-film Silicon Solar Cells

The simplest semiconductor junction that is used in solar cells for separating photogenerated charge carriers is the p-n junction, an interface between the p-type region and ntype region of one semiconductor. Therefore, the basic semiconductor property of a material, the possibility to vary its conductivity by doping, has to be demonstrated first before the material can be considered as a suita...

Micro-Cogeneration with a Fresnel Solar Concentrator

The technical and economic sustainability of photovoltaic (PV) systems is heavily affected by the cost and performances of the adopted PV cells. Solar concentrators represent an effective alternative to reduce the solar cell surface and, at the same time, to increase the global conversion efficiency. Such systems include optic elements to concentrate the solar radiation to a small area where hi...

Crystalline Silicon Thin Film Solar Cells

CZTSSe Thin Film Solar Cells : Surface Treatments

Joglekar, Chinmay S. M.S.Ch.E., Purdue University, May 2014. CZTSSe Thin Film Solar Cells: Surface Treatments. Major Professor: Rakesh Agrawal. Chalcopyrite semiconducting materials, specifically CZTS, are a promising alternative to traditional silicon solar cell technology. Because of the high absorption coefficient; films of the order of 1 μm thickness are sufficient for the fabrication of so...