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SOLAR CELLS

SOLAR CELLS. ESW Sustainable Technology of the Month! Presented by: Brad Gething. DISCLAIMER. I am not an expert in photovoltaics  This presentation is not a comprehensive review of the state of the art. Not all of the information presented originates from peer reviewed sources.

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SOLAR CELLS

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  1. SOLAR CELLS ESW SustainableTechnology of the Month! Presented by: Brad Gething

  2. DISCLAIMER • I am not an expert in photovoltaics  • This presentation is not a comprehensive review of the state of the art. • Not all of the information presented originates from peer reviewed sources.

  3. BACKGROUND • 1839 - Photovoltaic effect was discovered by the French physicist Alexandre Edmond Becquerel. • 1918 - Polish scientist Jan Czochralski discovered a method for monocrystalline silicon production. The first silicon monocrystalline solar cell was constructed in 1941. • 1955 - Western Electric put for sale commercial licenses for solar cells production (mainly for space exploration). Hoffman Electronics-Semiconductor Division introduced a commercial photovoltaic product with 2 % efficiency for $25 per cell with 14 mW peak power. Cost - $1,785 per W. • 1973 – U. Delaware produced a photovoltaic-thermal hybrid system Solar one, one of the first photovoltaic systems for domestic application. Cost - $30 per W • 1984 - 1 MW photovoltaic power plant began to operate in Sacramento, California. ARCO Solar introduced the first amorphous modules. • 1992 - A silicon solar cell with 20 % efficiency was patented. • 2002 - Cumulative worldwide installed PV capacity expected to reach 2000 MW

  4. CONTEXT AVERAGE SOLAR IRRADIANCE 1991-1993W/m2

  5. CONTEXT

  6. Si-P 1 Si-B Si-P 3 Si-B Si-P 2 Si-B HOW THEY WORK

  7. ECONOMICS • A 3 kW PV residential retrofit system in the US costs ~$25,000 • Amortized over a 20 year mortgage, the cost of PV electricity is ~25 cents per kWh in most U.S. locations • The average cost of utility/grid electricity is 8.2 cents per kWh in the U.S. and between 0.10 and 0.15 €per kWh in Europe. • Studies suggest an added hidden societal cost behind all fossil-fueled power plant ranging from 7 to 20 cents per kWh.

  8. ECONOMICS • Although the production of electrical grade Si has increased, acquisition of raw Si has not. DEMAND > SUPPLY

  9. ECONOMICS

  10. KEY POINT • Costs can be reduced by: • Alternative materials • Reduced material cost • Reduced processing cost • Increased efficiencies • Alternative uses of Si • Amorphous Si (non-crystalline) • Si layered with glass

  11. ALTERNATIVES • Materials • Cadmium Telluride • Polymers • Dye-sensitized solar cells • Processing • Thin films • Ribbon Printing • Nano-crystalline materials

  12. EFFICIENCIES • Amorphous silicon (Tandem) 6 - 7% • Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) thin film 8 - 10% • Multi (or Poly) crystalline silicon 12 -15% • Mono-crystalline silicon (SiN) 13 -16% • Saturn Mono-crystalline silicon 15 -18%

  13. WANT TO LEARN MORE? • PSU Courses • EDSGN 497A: Sustainable Design and Engineering • ENGR 097S: Solar Racers • Center for Sustainability (www.engr.psu.edu/cfs) • Solar Decathlon • www.solar.psu.edu • Powerlion- portable PV station • New 1750 W PV array • Penn State Energy Institute – Sustainable Energy Research • Faculty • Dr. Andy Lau – ASE • Dr. Christopher Wronski – EE • Dr. John Asbury - Chemistry

  14. REFERENCES http://www.pvresources.com/en/history.php http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaics http://science.howstuffworks.com/solar-cell.htm “Everything You Wanted to Know About Solar PhotovoltaicsBut Were Afraid to Ask”, BP Solar Publication International Energy Outlook 2006, Energy Information Administration Annual Energy Outlook 2007 , Energy Information Administration Flin, David. “Thin films for fat profits”, Modern Power Systems, 26(2), 2006.

  15. LET’S CHAT!QUESTIONS??COMMENTS?? “I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that.” --Thomas Edison “If to do were as easy as to know what is good to do, then paupers would be princes and a poor man’s hovel, a rich man’s estate.” – William Shakespeare

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