This chapter begins with the basic semiconductor physics, which is necessary to understand the operation of pn junction solar cell, and then describes the basic principles of pn junction solar cell. After discussing some basics from electrodynamics in chapter 4 and solar radiation in chapter 5, we spend several chapters on explaining the most important concepts of. Jan 01, 2005 peter wurfel describes in detail all aspects of solar cell function, the physics behind every single step, as well as all the issues to be considered when improving solar cells and their efficiency. Most cells are firstgeneration types that can manage about 15 percent in theory and probably 8 percent in practice. They will learn how a single crystal silicon cell accepts energy from light and turns it into electric ity. Fundamental properties of solar cells, principles and. This means that the ntype silicon becomes positively charged, and the ptype silicon is negatively charged, creating an electric field across the cell. The university of toledo, department of physics and astronomy ssare, pvic principles and varieties of solar energy phys 4400 and fundamentals of solar cells phys 6980 fundamental properties of solar cells, principles and varieties of solar energy. Whether theyre adorning your calculator or orbiting our planet on satellites, they rely on the the photoelectric effect. Semiconductors have the capacity to absorb light and to deliver a portion of the energy of the absorbed photons to carriers of electrical current electrons and holes. Individual solar cell devices can be combined to form modules, otherwise known as solar panels.
Peter wurfel describes in detail all aspects of solar cell function, the physics behind every single step, as well as all the issues to be considered when improving solar cells and their efficiency. The cell can be considered as a two terminal device which conducts like a diode in the dark and generates a photovoltage when charged by the sun. Solar cell is the basic unit of solar energy generation system where electrical energy is extracted directly from light energy without any intermediate process. Properties basic to photovoltaic energy conversion 3. All the aspects presented in this chapter will be discussed in greater detail in the following chapters. It is a form of photoelectric cell, defined as a device whose electrical characteristics, such as current, voltage, or resistance, vary when exposed to light individual solar cell devices can be. Jenny nelson takes a whistlestop tour through basic semiconductor physics, then gets deeper into solar cell work. Sep 21, 2014 electronic materials, devices, and fabrication by prof s. Based on the highly regarded and extremely successful first edition, this thoroughly revised, updated and expanded edition contains the latest knowledge on the mechanisms of solar energy conversion. Characteristics of photovoltaic solar cells analog. Solar cells are described as being photovoltaic, irrespective of whether the source is sunlight or an artificial light.
First of all, there is charge carrier generation or. There are three key steps for a working solar cell. Sunlight is composed of photons, which can be thought of as packets of energy the amount of energy in. Sunlight can be converted into electricity by exciting electrons in a solar cell. The operation of a polymer solar cell is governed by the key steps of lightabsorption, charge generation and charge collection. For an extensive description of the physics of solar cells, we refer to, for example, nelson 19 and w urfel. The rapid development of the solar cell industry is quite unique in the modern industry and unmatched by even the semiconductor industry. Gray purdue university, west lafayette, indiana, usa 3. The influence of both the diode saturation current density and of i sc on v oc, ff and. After discussing some basics from electrodynamics in chapter 4 and solar radiation in chapter 5, we spend several chapters on explaining the most important concepts of semiconductor physics.
Jan 14, 2018 in this video we will learn solar cell. Pv park uses 162,000 flat solar photovoltaic panels to deliver 60 mw of electricity on a sunny day. The theoretical studies are of practical use because they predict the fundamental limits of a solar cell, and give guidance on the phenomena that contribute to losses and solar cell efficien. The efficiency of a solar cell is the ratio of the electrical power it delivers to the load, to the optical power incident on the cell. The physics of the solar cell sharif university of. Silicon is what is known as a semiconductor, meaning that it shares some of the properties of metals and some of those of an. Based on the highly successful german version, but thoroughly revised and updated, this edition contains the latest knowledge on the mechanisms of. The solar cell is the basic building block of solar photovoltaics.
Working principles of solar and other energy conversion cells. Information about these solar storms is in pdf format and may be found in the program assessments section towards the bottom of the web page. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the physics of the photovoltaic cell. In solar cell fabrication, however, one seeks to construct a largearea device because the power produced is proportional to the illuminated area.
The new edition of this highly regarded textbook provides a detailed overview of the most important characterization techniques for solar cells and a discussion of their advantages and disadvantages. The working principle of a solar cell in this chapter we present a very simple model of a solar cell. I study of iv characteristic of a solar cell illuminated by an incandescent lamp, at different frequencies ii study of iv characteristic of a solar cell illuminated by sun, at different frequencies theory. We give the upper limit to the solar cell e ciency. The basic principle behind the function of solar cell is based on photovoltaic effect. Solar cell physics the photovoltaic effect, applied. You searched for solar energy we found 16 results on and 330 results in our database of sites of which 322 are websites, 6 are videos, and 2 are experiments. The very first solar cell scraped in at a mere 6 percent efficiency. Please see lecture video for example images of each type of solar panel. Ppt solar photovoltaic physics powerpoint presentation. Basic photovoltaic principles and me1hods serisp2901448 solar information module 62 published february 1982 this book presents a nonmathematical explanation of the theory and design of pv solar cells and systems. A solar panel is made up of a collection of solar cells.
Application of pn junctions within solar cells is discussed. Pnjunction diode when the junction is illuminated, a net current flow takes place in an external lead connecting the ptype and ntype. The textbook describes in detail all aspects of solar cell function, the physics behind every single step, as well as all the issues to be considered when improving solar cells and their efficiency. Olmedilla was built with conventional solar panels, which are made with silicon and tend to be heavy and expensive. Solar or photovoltaic cells convert the suns energy into electricity. Since the voltage is too small for most applications, to produce a. Electronic materials, devices, and fabrication by prof s. The theoretical studies are of practical use because they predict the fundamental limits of a solar cell, and give guidance on the phenomena that contribute to losses and solar cell efficiency. Jenny nelson has provided a splendidly clear, concise and readable account of the basic semiconductor physics of the solar cell, complete with student exercises and solutions. It ends with the concepts of solar cell using nanocrystalline materials. In the long run, the research and development of solar cells will go through three stages. It is suitable for undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers new to the field. The working of a solar cell solely depends upon its photovoltaic effect, hence a solar cell also known as photovoltaic cell. When these two materials are placed side by side inside a solar cell, the ntype silicons spare electrons jump over to fill the gaps in the ptype silicon.
The common single junction silicon solar cell can produce a maximum opencircuit voltage of approximately 0. An overview of solar cell technology mike mcgehee materials science and engineering global climate and energy projectglobal climate and energy project center for advanced molecular photovoltaics precourt institute stanford university konarka nanosolar john benner provided the slides with the nrel logo. The basic characteristics of a solar cell are the shortcircuit current i sc, the opencircuit voltage v oc, the fill factor ff and the solar energy conversion efficiency. Many notions presented in this chapter will be new but nonetheless the general idea of how a solar cell works should be clear. In the two fascinating final chapters, she takes her readers beyond the limit of performance of the presentday crystalline silicon cell, describing advanced design. Basic characteristics and characterization of solar cells. Based on the highly successful german version, but thoroughly revised and updated, this edition contains the latest knowledge on the mechanisms of solar energy conversion. The theory of solar cells explains the process by which light energy in photons is converted into electric current when the photons strike a suitable semiconductor device. The more light that hits a solar cell, the more electricity it generates.
Solar cell is the basic unit of solar energy generation system where electrical energy is. A solar cell is an electrical device that converts the solar energy into electric current. A solar cell is an electronic device which directly converts sunlight into electricity. Basic physics of solar cells technology, manufacturing. An overview of solar cell technology mike mcgehee materials science and engineering global climate and energy projectglobal climate and energy project center for advanced molecular photovoltaics precourt institute stanford university konarka nanosolar. Parasuraman,department of metallurgy and material science,iit madras. An overview of solar cell technology stanford university. A large number of solar cells spread over a large area can work together to convert the light into electricity. It describes in detail all aspects of solar cell function, the physics behind every single step, as well as all the issues to be considered when improving solar cells and their efficiency. Solar cells and microelectronic devices share the same basic technology. The photovoltaic pv effect is the basis of the conver sion of lightto electricityin photovoltaic, or solar, cells. Rohsenow heat and mass transfer laboratory, mit images removed due to restrictions. You searched for solar energy we found 16 results on and 330 results in our.
Solar thermography for photovoltaic panel this presentation is about the importance of solar thermography for photovoltaic panels. The framework must provide a tool to economists and social scientists, to divide. The course is a tour through the fundamental disciplines including solar cell history, why we need solar energy, how solar cells produce power, and how they work. The impressive supply of solar energy is complemented by its versatility, as illustrated in figure 1. Associate professor kylie catchpole, research school of. Light, which is pure energy, enters a pv cell and imparts enough energy to some electrons negatively charged atomic particles to free them.
Light shining on the solar cell produces both a current and a voltage to generate electric power. Since the voltage is too small for most applications, to produce a useful voltage, the cells are connected in series into. Denis ar con ljubljana, may 2011 abstract this seminar is a short overview of current photovoltaics. Pdf a solar cell is an electronic device which directly converts sunlight into electricity. The working principle of a solar cell tu delft ocw. Read the physics of solar cells by jenny nelson available from rakuten kobo. Also we will see how this solar cells are made key point of lecture will be as given below what is solar cell. In solar cell fabrication, however, one seeks to construct a largearea device because the. Todd kaiser montana state university solar cell lab manual july 2009 this manual was designed for use with the montana microfabrication facility at montana state university.
It covers the basics of solar cell and junction operation from a fundamental level treatment of carrier densities and transport mechanisms etc. Basic physics of solar cells technology, manufacturing and. Thermal imager testo 872 is best suited for spv panels and was used to take the thermal image of modules to monitor the panel heating with respect to dust, dirt or bird drops on the panels. In this lesson, students are introduced to the basic physics and chemistry behind the operation of a solar cell. The process of generating charges following light absoprtion takes place at the interface between two different organic semiconductors, and we are currently investigating the complex physical processes that occur at polymer interfaces in order to improve the efficiency of organic solar cells. When charged by the sun, this basic unit generates a dc photovoltage of 0. A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is an electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect, which is a physical and chemical phenomenon. It can yield chemical fuel via natural photosynthesis in green plants or artificial photosynthesis in humanengineered systems. However, the performance is steadily improving and polymer solar cells promise to enable much lower production costs because the. Mar 23, 2019 solar cell is a device or a structure that converts the solar energy i. Whether you are looking for general insight in this green technology or your ambition is to pursue a career in solar, introduction to solar cells is an excellent starting point. A commonly used parameter that characterizes a solar cell is the fill factor, ff, which is defined as the ratio of p max to the area of the rectangle formed by v oc and i sc. This process requires firstly, a material in which the absorption of light raises an electron to a higher energy state.
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