Realizing high photovoltaic efficiency with parallel multijunction solar cells based on spectrum-splitting and-concentrating diffractive optical element

Based on the facts that multijunction solar cells can increase the efficiency and concentration can reduce the cost dramatically, a special design of parallel multijunction solar cells was presented. The design employed a diffractive optical element （DOE） to split and concentrate the sunlight. A rainbow region and a zero-order diffraction region were generated on the output plane where solar cells with corresponding band gaps were placed. An analytical expression of the light intensity distribution on the output plane of the special DOE was deduced, and the limiting photovoltaic efficiency of such parallel multijunction solar ceils was obtained based on Shockley-Queisser＇s theory. An efficiency exceeding the Shockley--Queisser limit （33%） can be expected using multijunction solar cells consisting of separately fabricated subcells. The results provide an important alternative approach to realize high photovoltaic efficiency without the need for expensive epitaxial technology widely used in tandem solar cells, thus stimulating the research and application of high efficiency and low cost solar cells.

>35%5-junction space solar cells based on the direct bonding technique

Multijunction solar cells are the highest efficiency photovoltaic devices yet demonstrated for both space and terrestrial applications.In recent years five-junction cells based on the direct semiconductor bonding technique(SBT),demonstrates space efficiencies>35%and presents application potentials.In this paper,the major challenges for fabricating SBT 5J cells and their appropriate strategies involving structure tunning,band engineering and material tailoring are stated,and 4-cm235.4%(AM0,one sun)5J SBT cells are presented.Further efforts on detailed optical managements are required to improve the current generating and matching in subcells,to achieve efficiencies 36%-37%,or above.

Performance Study of Silicon-Based Multi-Junction Solar Cell

This paper presents a performance study of silicon-based multi-junction (MJ) solar cell which is produced by Spectrolab is the most efficient solar cell in the world, with a record efficiency of over 40%. The I-V characteristics of solar cells were investigated for different environmental conditions (both at indoor and outdoor). Photovoltaic (PV) parameters like short circuit current (ISC), open circuit voltage (VOC), fill factor (FF) and efficiency (?) were evaluated for the fabricated cell. The fabricated cell provides I-V characteristics curve which shows that the maximum efficiency of the cell is obtained when the cell temperature is lower. It was also observed that, efficiencies of the cells are about 17% to 24% at indoor and 7% to 20% at outdoor and fill factors are 0.40 to 0.71. From the result, it can also be found that fill factor is directly affected by the values of the cells series and shunt resistance.

Assessment of High Concentrated Photovoltaic/Thermal Collector in Hot Climate

This work investigates the performance of combined hybrid high concentrated photovoltaic/thermal collector (HCPV/T) in Kuwait harsh climate. The proposed system consists of triple junction solar cells (InGaP/InGaAs/Ge) attached to heat source to discharge thermal energy to cooling media. Published HCPV/T models do not consider the effect of shunt resistance which greatly affects the system performance. So, a single diode model employing five parameters including the effect of shunt resistance is adapted to analyze the proposed system. To analyze the thermal performance of the proposed system, a two-dimensional thermal model based on the technique of finite difference is introduced to determine the efficiency of the hybrid HCPV/T system. The present developed subroutines are integrated with other involved codes in TRNSYS software to calculate HCPV/T system efficiency. Electrical and thermal as well as the whole system efficiency at different weather circumstances are evaluated and assessed. The effect of different weather conditions, cell temperature, concentration ratio and the temperatures of the coolant fluid on system performance are studied. Current results indicate that the model of single diode is a reliable one rather than using the two-diode complex model. Compared to measurements provided by high concentrated PV manufacturer, the current results revealed a total root mean square error of approximately 1.94%. Present predictions show that PV cell temperature has logarithmic increase with the rise in concentration ratio but with low values till concentration ratio of 400 suns after that the rise is faster at higher concentration values up to 1500 suns. Results also revealed that hybrid HCPV/T system works effectively specially in severe hot climate where thermal efficiency increases with high surrounding temperature for higher values of concentration ratio. In addition, an increase of approximately 15% in thermal efficiency and 10% in total efficiency can be achieved by utilizing active cooling device in HCPV/T system.

Top Limit Characteristics of New Type Cascade PC on the Basis of Homogeneous Semiconductor

A new type homogeneous planar PC （photoelectric converter） on the basis of multijunction semiconductor n＋-p-p＋-n＋-p-p＋-...-n＋-p-p＋ structure has been investigated. The entire structure is a cascade PC consisting of a number of elements of the structure--single PCs connected in series and illuminated by light that has consistently passed through the previous semiconductor layers. The theory of converter of both monochromatic and solar radiation has been developed and the limiting values of their photoelectric and power characteristics have been determined, including the optimal thickness and number of single PCs layered on a base PC, their spectral sensitivity, current-voltage characteristics and efficiency. The open-circuit voltage grows practically linearly with the number of elements in the cascade. The top efficiency limit for a certain optimal elements number reaches its maximum that exceeds considerably that of the base PC, especially in the range of low collecting coefficient of charge carriers in the base PC.