https://findresearcher.sdu.dk:8443/ws/files/116118561/reverse_logistics.pdf

Reverse logistics and closed-loop supply chain: A comprehensive review to explore the future

The development in solar PV technology is growing very fast in recent years due to technological improvement, cost reductions in materials and government support for renewable energy based electricity production. Photovoltaic is playing an important role to utilize solar energy for electricity production worldwide. At present, the PV market is growing rapidly with worldwide around 23.5 GW in 2010 and also growing at an annual rate of 35–40%, which makes photovoltaic as one of the fastest growing industries. The efficiency of solar cell is one of the important parameter in order to establish this technology in the market. Presently, extensive research work is going for efficiency improvement of solar cells for commercial use. The efficiency of monocrystalline silicon solar cell has showed very good improvement year by year. It starts with only 15% in 1950s and then increase to 17% in 1970s and continuously increase up to 28% nowadays. The growth in solar photovoltaic technologies including worldwide status, materials for solar cells, efficiency, factor affecting the performance of PV module, overview on cost analysis of PV and its environmental impact are reviewed in this paper.

Progress in solar PV technology: Research and achievement

https://people.clas.ufl.edu/azimmer/files/Publication-pdf/Mukh-and-Zim13Organic-carbon-and-nutrient-release-from-a-range-of-laboratory-produced-biochars-SI.pdf

Organic carbon and nutrient release from a range of laboratory-produced biochars and biochar–soil mixtures

Among the armoury of photovoltaic materials, thin film heterojunction photovoltaics continue to be a promising candidate for solar energy conversion delivering a vast scope in terms of device design and fabrication. Their production does not require expensive semiconductor substrates and high temperature device processing, which allows reduced cost per unit area while maintaining reasonable efficiency. In this regard, superstrate CdTe/CdS solar cells are extensively investigated because of their suitable bandgap alignments, cost effective methods of production at large scales and stability against proton/electron irradiation. The conversion efficiencies in the range of 6–20% are achieved by structuring the device by varying the absorber/window layer thickness, junction activation/annealing steps, with more suitable front/back contacts, preparation techniques, doping with foreign ions, etc. This review focuses on fundamental and critical aspects like: (a) choice of CdS window layer and CdTe absorber layer; (b) drawbacks associated with the device including environmental problems, optical absorption losses and back contact barriers; (c) structural dynamics at CdS–CdTe interface; (d) influence of junction activation process by CdCl2 or HCF2Cl treatment; (e) interface and grain boundary passivation effects; (f) device degradation due to impurity diffusion and stress; (g) fabrication with suitable front and back contacts; (h) chemical processes occurring at various interfaces; (i) strategies and modifications developed to improve their efficiency. The complexity involved in understanding the multiple aspects of tuning the solar cell efficiency is reviewed in detail by considering the individual contribution from each component of the device. It is expected that this review article will enrich the materials aspects of CdTe/CdS devices for solar energy conversion and stimulate further innovative research interest on this intriguing topic.

Physics and chemistry of CdTe/CdS thin film heterojunction photovoltaic devices: fundamental and critical aspects

Environmental impacts of solar energy systems: A review.

A sustainable recycling of photovoltaic (PV) thin film modules gains in importance due to the considerable growing of the PV market and the increasing scarcity of the resources for semiconductor materials. The paper presents the development of two strategies for thin film PV recycling based on (wet) mechanical processing for broken modules, and combined thermal and mechanical methods for end-of-life modules. The feasibility of the processing steps was demonstrated in laboratory scale as well as in semi-technical scale using the example of CdTe and CIS modules. Pre-concentrated valuables In and Te from wet mechanical processing can be purified to the appropriate grade for the production of new modules. An advantage of the wet mechanical processing in comparison to the conventional procedure might be the usage of no or a small amount of chemicals during the several steps. Some measures are necessary in order to increase the efficiency of the wet mechanical processing regarding the improvement of the valuable yield and the related enrichment of the semiconductor material. The investigation of the environmental impacts of both recycling strategies indicates that the strategy, which includes wet mechanical separation, has clear advantages in comparison to the thermal treatment or disposal on landfills.

A novel approach for the recycling of thin film photovoltaic modules

Recycling paths for thin-film chalcogenide photovoltaic waste – Current feasible processes

Evaluation of leaching and extraction procedures for soil and waste.

Comparison of stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) and liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in complex aqueous matrices.

Wolfgang Berger

Papers

A novel approach for the recycling of thin film photovoltaic modules

Recycling paths for thin-film chalcogenide photovoltaic waste – Current feasible processes

Evaluation of leaching and extraction procedures for soil and waste.

Comparison of stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) and liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in complex aqueous matrices.

Results of interlaboratory comparisons of column percolation tests