Journal ArticleDOI
High-efficiency solar cells from III-V compound semiconductors
TLDR
In this article, the most efficient technology for the generation of electricity from solar radiation is the use of multi-junction solar cells made of III-V compound semiconductors.Abstract:
Today's most efficient technology for the generation of electricity from solar radiation is the use of multi-junction solar cells made of III-V compound semiconductors. Efficiencies up to 39% have already been reported under concentrated sunlight. These solar cells have initially been developed for powering satellites in space and are now starting to explore the terrestrial energy market through the use of photovoltaic concentrator systems. This opens a huge potential market for the application of compound semiconductor materials due to the large areas that are necessary to harvest sufficient amounts of energy from the sun. Concentrator systems using III-V solar cells have shown to be ecological and could play an important role for the sustainable energy generation of the future. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Lanthanide ions as spectral converters for solar cells
TL;DR: An overview will be given of recent work on photon management for solar cells, including issues that need to be resolved before wide scale application of up- and downconversion materials can be anticipated, and three topics can be distinguished.
Journal ArticleDOI
Current-matched triple-junction solar cell reaching 41.1% conversion efficiency under concentrated sunlight
Wolfgang Guter,J. Schöne,Simon P. Philipps,Marc Steiner,Gerald Siefer,A. Wekkeli,Elke Welser,E. Oliva,Andreas W. Bett,Frank Dimroth +9 more
TL;DR: In this article, a metamorphic Ga0.35In0.17As/Ge triple-junction solar cell is shown to provide current-matching of all three subcells and thus composes a device structure with virtually ideal band gap combination.
Journal ArticleDOI
Energy conversion approaches and materials for high-efficiency photovoltaics
Martin A. Green,Stephen Bremner +1 more
TL;DR: The overall prospects for a range of approaches that can potentially exceed Shockley-Queisser limits are assessed, based on ultimate efficiency prospects, material requirements and developmental outlook.
Journal ArticleDOI
Commercial progress and challenges for photovoltaics
TL;DR: The past five years have seen substantial cost reductions and greatly increased uptake of photovoltaics as mentioned in this paper, which is being driven by ongoing improvements in both silicon solar cell costs and performance, making the commercialization of new technologies increasingly difficult.
Journal ArticleDOI
High-Efficiency Multijunction Solar Cells
Frank Dimroth,Sarah Kurtz +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the materials science of today's high-efficiency multijunction cells and describe challenges associated with new materials developments and how they may lead to next-generation, multi-junction solar cell concepts.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Radiation-resistant solar cells for space use
TL;DR: In this paper, the present status of radiation-resistant solar cells made with Si, GaAs, InP and InGaP/GaAs for space use is reviewed based on an anomalous degradation of Si space solar cells under high-energy, high-fluence electron and proton irradiations.
Journal ArticleDOI
25.5% efficient Ga/sub 0.35/In/sub 0.65/P/Ga/sub 0.83/In/sub 0.17/As tandem solar cells grown on GaAs substrates
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reported a power conversion efficiency of 25.5% under AM1.5d spectral conditions for the first Ga/sub 0.17/As tandem solar cell, grown lattice mismatched to the GaAs substrate material.
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