Practical Roadmap and Limits to Nanostructured Photovoltaics
The significant research interest in the engineering of photovoltaic (PV) structures at the nanoscale is directed toward enabling reductions in PV module fabrication and installation costs as well as improving cell power conversion efficiency (PCE). With the emergence of a multitude of nanostructure...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
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Wiley Blackwell
2013
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/80286 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0960-2580 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7388-2815 |
| _version_ | 1811083493220810752 |
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| author | Lunt, Richard R. Rowehl, Jill A. Osedach, Timothy Paul Brown, Patrick Richard Bulovic, Vladimir |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Lunt, Richard R. Rowehl, Jill A. Osedach, Timothy Paul Brown, Patrick Richard Bulovic, Vladimir |
| author_sort | Lunt, Richard R. |
| collection | MIT |
| description | The significant research interest in the engineering of photovoltaic (PV) structures at the nanoscale is directed toward enabling reductions in PV module fabrication and installation costs as well as improving cell power conversion efficiency (PCE). With the emergence of a multitude of nanostructured photovoltaic (nano-PV) device architectures, the question has arisen of where both the practical and the fundamental limits of performance reside in these new systems. Here, the former is addressed a posteriori. The specific challenges associated with improving the electrical power conversion efficiency of various nano-PV technologies are discussed and several approaches to reduce their thermal losses beyond the single bandgap limit are reviewed. Critical considerations related to the module lifetime and cost that are unique to nano-PV architectures are also addressed. The analysis suggests that a practical single-junction laboratory power conversion efficiency limit of 17% and a two-cell tandem power conversion efficiency limit of 24% are possible for nano-PVs, which, when combined with operating lifetimes of 10 to 15 years, could position them as a transformational technology for solar energy markets. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T12:33:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/80286 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T12:33:57Z |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publisher | Wiley Blackwell |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/802862022-10-01T09:48:27Z Practical Roadmap and Limits to Nanostructured Photovoltaics Lunt, Richard R. Rowehl, Jill A. Osedach, Timothy Paul Brown, Patrick Richard Bulovic, Vladimir Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Materials Science and Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Microsystems Technology Laboratories Bulovic, Vladimir Osedach, Timothy Paul Brown, Patrick Richard Bulovic, Vladimir Lunt, Richard R. Rowehl, Jill A. The significant research interest in the engineering of photovoltaic (PV) structures at the nanoscale is directed toward enabling reductions in PV module fabrication and installation costs as well as improving cell power conversion efficiency (PCE). With the emergence of a multitude of nanostructured photovoltaic (nano-PV) device architectures, the question has arisen of where both the practical and the fundamental limits of performance reside in these new systems. Here, the former is addressed a posteriori. The specific challenges associated with improving the electrical power conversion efficiency of various nano-PV technologies are discussed and several approaches to reduce their thermal losses beyond the single bandgap limit are reviewed. Critical considerations related to the module lifetime and cost that are unique to nano-PV architectures are also addressed. The analysis suggests that a practical single-junction laboratory power conversion efficiency limit of 17% and a two-cell tandem power conversion efficiency limit of 24% are possible for nano-PVs, which, when combined with operating lifetimes of 10 to 15 years, could position them as a transformational technology for solar energy markets. Eni-MIT Alliance Solar Frontiers Program (Eni S.p.A. (Firm)) National Science Foundation (U.S.). Graduate Research Fellowship Program Link Foundation Hertz Foundation (Fellowship) 2013-08-26T20:59:19Z 2013-08-26T20:59:19Z 2011-11 2011-09 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 09359648 1521-4095 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/80286 Lunt, Richard R., Timothy P. Osedach, Patrick R. Brown, Jill A. Rowehl, and Vladimir Bulović. “Practical Roadmap and Limits to Nanostructured Photovoltaics.” Advanced Materials 23, no. 48 (December 22, 2011): 5712-5727. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0960-2580 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7388-2815 en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adma.201103404 Advanced Materials Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ application/pdf Wiley Blackwell Bulovic via Amy Stout |
| spellingShingle | Lunt, Richard R. Rowehl, Jill A. Osedach, Timothy Paul Brown, Patrick Richard Bulovic, Vladimir Practical Roadmap and Limits to Nanostructured Photovoltaics |
| title | Practical Roadmap and Limits to Nanostructured Photovoltaics |
| title_full | Practical Roadmap and Limits to Nanostructured Photovoltaics |
| title_fullStr | Practical Roadmap and Limits to Nanostructured Photovoltaics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Practical Roadmap and Limits to Nanostructured Photovoltaics |
| title_short | Practical Roadmap and Limits to Nanostructured Photovoltaics |
| title_sort | practical roadmap and limits to nanostructured photovoltaics |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/80286 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0960-2580 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7388-2815 |
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