Photovoltaics - Technology Profile (Chapter 3)

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	Photovoltaic Components

	Solar Heat (Solar Thermal Collectors) and electricity (Photovoltaik) production are often mixed. Generally can be stated: Photovoltaics is a semiconductor technology that converts light energy into direct-current electricity, with no moving parts. In its current form Photovoltaics has been developed in 1953-1954, for the aim of power supply of satellites in space since 1958; remote telecommunications, cathodic protection, and signaling systems since the mid-1960s; remote residential and commercial systems since the 1970s; and utility-intertied residential and commercial systems since the 1980s. Solar (thermal) collectors are heat exchangers, which convert the sun rays on a black absorber plate into heat. The heat is removed from the absorber by fluid filled pipes integrated into the plate. Afterwards, the heated fluid is used for space heating and hot water preparation.
	Solar cells Mono crystalline silicon Sliced from single-crystal boules of grown silicon, these wafers/cells are now cut as thin as 200 microns. Research cells have reached nearly 24-percent efficiency, with commercial modules of single-crystal cells exceeding 15-percent. Poly crystalline silicon Sliced from blocks of cast silicon, these wafers/cells are both less expensive to manufacture and less efficient than single-crystal silicon cells. Research cells approach 18-percent efficiency, and commercial modules approach 14-percent efficiency. Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) A III-V semiconductor material from which high-efficiency photovoltaic cells are made, often used in concentrator systems and space power systems. Research cell efficiencies greater than 25 percent under 1-sun conditions, and nearly 28 percent under concentrated sunlight. Multijunction cells based on GaAs and related III-V alloys have exceeded 30-percent efficiency.
	Integrated Thin Film Technology Copper Indium Diselenide (CuInSe2, or CIS) A thin-film polycrystalline material, which has reached a research efficiency of 17.7%, delivers the highest completed module efficiency for full sized power modules, reaching over 11 percent. Amorphous Silicon (a-Si) Used mostly in consumer products for solar watches and calculators, a-Si technology is also used in building-integrated systems, replacing tinted glass with semi-transparent modules. The primary issue with a-Si technology remains the low efficiency and associated greater requirement for space and higher array installed cost and weight Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) A thin-film polycrystalline material, deposited by electrodeposition, spraying, and high-rate evaporation. Small laboratory devices reached 16% efficiency, with commercial-sized modules (7200-cm2) measured at 8.34% (NREL-measured total-area) efficiency and production modules at approximately 7 percent. [ previous chapter 2 ] <= [ Technology Profile ] => [ next chapter 4 ]