EE6456 SOLAR CELLS
COURSE
OBJECTIVES:
To introduce various aspects of solar cells including optoelectronic properties of photovoltaic materials, basic operating
principles of solar cells including silicon, compound semiconductors and thin
film solar cells, modelling and design factors for high efficiency solar
cells, fabrication of solar cells, and design and applications of photovoltaic
systems.
TEXT: Solar Cells: Operating
Principle, Technology, and Systems Application, M.A. Green, Bridge Printery
Pty. Ltd. Rosebery, N.S.W. (1992)
COURSE
OUTLINE
I.
Solar Cells and Sunlight
A.
The photovoltaic vision
B.
Physical source of sunlight, solar constant and insolation data.
C.
Direct and diffuse radiation
II.
Review of Semiconductor Properties
A.
Dynamics of electrons and holes
B.
Generation and Recombination processes in semiconductors
C.
Interaction of sunlight with semiconductors.
D. Reflectance and absorption of light.
III.
Junctions and Operating Principles of Solar Cells
A.
Homo and hetero-junctions
B.
Dark and illuminated characteristics of solar cells
C.
Internal quantum efficiency of solar cell
D.
Equivalent circuit of solar cells
E.
Solar cell output parameters
IV.
Efficiency Limits and Losses in Solar Cells
A.
Efficiency limits for black-body cells
B.
Short-circuit current losses
C.
Open-circuit voltage losses
D.
Fill factor losses
E.
Effect of temperature on cell performance
F.
Practically achievable efficiency limit
V.
Silicon Solar Cell and Module Fabrication
A.
Promising photovoltaic silicon materials
B.
Baseline silicon solar cell fabrication
C.
Processing of advanced silicon solar cells
D.
Photovoltaic module construction
VI.
Design of High Efficiency Silicon Solar Cells
A.
Surface recombination velocity and spectral response considerations
B.
Heavy doping effects, junction depth, and emitter doping profile
considerations.
C.
Substrate doping, thickness and diffusion length considerations
D.
Grid design
E.
Back surface field design
F.
Antireflection coating design
G.
Textured surfaces for light trapping
VII.
Heterojunction, Thin-Film and Other Promising Solar Cells
A.
Gallium arsenide solar cells
B.
Amorphous silicon thin-film solar cells
C.
Polycrystalline thin-film CdTe and CuInSe2 cells
D.
Multijunction solar cells
E.
Concentrator cells
VIII.
Photovoltaic Systems and Applications
A.
Stand alone PV Systems
B.
Utility-interactive PV systems
C.
Modeling and design of PV systems
D.
PV in buildings
E.
Cost analysis and future of PV systems