Photovoltaics Beyond Silicon

Innovative Materials, Sustainable Processing Technologies, and Novel Device Structures

1st Edition - June 28, 2024
Editors: Velumani Subramaniam, Ryne P. Raffaelle, Senthilarasu Sundaram, Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin, Arturo Morales-Acevedo, María Bernechea Navarro, Aloysius F. Hepp
Language: English
Paperback ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 9 0 1 8 8 - 8
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 9 0 1 8 9 - 5

Photovoltaics Beyond Silicon: Innovative Materials, Sustainable Processing Technologies, and Novel Device Structures presents the latest innovations in materials, processin… Read more

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Photovoltaics Beyond Silicon: Innovative Materials, Sustainable Processing Technologies, and Novel Device Structures presents the latest innovations in materials, processing and devices to produce electricity via advanced, sustainable photovoltaics technologies. The book provides an overview of the novel materials and device architectures that have been developed to optimize energy conversion efficiencies and minimize environmental impacts. Advances in technologies for harnessing solar energy are extensively discussed, with topics including materials processing, device fabrication, sustainability of materials and manufacturing, and the current state-of-the-art. Contributions from leading international experts discuss the applications, challenges and future prospects of research in this increasingly vital field, providing a valuable resource for students and researchers working in this area.

Cover image
Title page
Table of Contents
Copyright
List of contributors
Preface
Section I: Photovoltaics: Background, technologies, and innovation
Chapter One. Photovoltaics overview: Historical background and current technologies
Abstract
1.1 Introduction and overview
1.2 Short history of photovoltaics
1.3 Background of photovoltaic materials and devices
1.4 Summary and conclusions
References
Chapter Two. Third-generation photovoltaics: Introduction, overview, innovation, and potential markets
Abstract
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Features of third-generation solar cells
2.3 Terawatt energy generation challenges
2.4 Summary and overview of third-generation photovoltaics
2.5 Economic assessment and market status of third-generation photovoltaics
2.6 Summary and conclusion
Acknowledgments
References
Section II: Perovskite materials and devices
Chapter Three. Perovskite solar cells: Past, present, and future
Abstract
3.1 Introduction to photovoltaic devices
3.2 Perovskite solar cells
3.3 Working mechanism of perovskite solar cells
3.4 Device architectures of perovskite solar cells
3.5 Lead-free perovskite solar cells
3.6 Tandem architecture of perovskite-silicon solar cells
3.7 Stability study of perovskite solar cells
3.8 Perovskite film fabrication processes
3.9 Different ranges of electron and hole transport layers
3.10 Electrodes for perovskite solar cells
3.11 Effect of encapsulation on perovskite solar cells
3.12 Standard testing protocols
3.13 Conclusion and future prospects
References
Chapter Four. Modeling perovskite solar cells
Abstract
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Thick versus thin solar cells
4.3 Thin perovskite solar cells
4.4 Modeling results for thin-film perovskite cells
4.5 Conclusion
References
Chapter Five. Optical design of perovskite solar cells
Abstract
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Optical modeling
5.3 Multilayered systems
5.4 Optical calculations for perovskite solar cells
5.5 Conclusion
References
Chapter Six. Organic hole-transporting materials for perovskite solar cells: Progress and prospects
Abstract
6.1 Introduction to perovskite solar cells
6.2 Device architecture and mechanism of perovskite solar cells
6.3 Organic hole-transporting materials
6.4 Conclusions and further perspectives
Acknowledgments
References
Section III: Alternative photovoltaic materials
Chapter Seven. Advanced fabrication strategies to enhance the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells
Abstract
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Classification of solar cells: Materials and technologies
7.3 A brief history of dye-sensitized solar cells
7.4 Dye-sensitized solar cells: Working principles
7.5 Solar irradiation
7.6 Concentrated light irradiation on dye-sensitized solar cells
7.7 Strategies to improve interfacial electron kinetics
7.8 Photoanode improvement of state-of-the-art dye-sensitized solar cells
7.9 Improvement(s) over state-of-the-art dye sensitizers
7.10 Improvement(s) over state-of-the-art dye sensitizer electrolytes
7.11 Improvement(s) over state-of-the-art dye-sensitized solar cell counter-electrodes
7.12 Overall relative scope of performance improvement of dye-sensitized solar cells
7.13 Nanostructured materials for performance improvement of dye-sensitized solar cells
7.14 Effect of light scattering
7.15 Improved dye-sensitized solar cell device performance: Fabrication approaches
7.16 Summary and future scope
Acknowledgments
References
Chapter Eight. Development of active layer materials for solution-processable organic photovoltaics
Abstract
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Solution-processed bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaics
8.3 Electron donors optimized for fullerene-based acceptors
8.4 Nonfullerene electron acceptors
8.5 Considerations for commercialization
8.6 Summary and conclusions
References
Chapter Nine. Copper zinc tin sulfide thin-film solar cells: An overview
Abstract
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Structure
9.3 Synthesis methods of copper zinc tin sulfide nanoparticles and thin films
9.4 Copper zinc tin sulfide-based thin-film solar cell deposition techniques
9.5 Comparison of performance of vacuum- and nonvacuum-based solar cells
9.6 Future scope
9.7 Conclusion
References
Section IV: Green and sustainable aspects of photovoltaics
Chapter Ten. Nature-inspired and computer-aided approaches to enable improved photovoltaic materials, more efficient processing, and novel devices
Abstract
10.1 Introduction: Nature-inspired and computer-aided insights
10.2 Sustainability, green technologies, and biomimicry
10.3 Computer-aided approaches to improved photovoltaics
10.4 Metal-organic framework materials for enhanced solar cells
10.5 Future paradigms: Novel materials and device fabrication for photovoltaics
10.6 Summary and conclusions
References
Chapter Eleven. Green chemical synthesis of photovoltaic materials
Abstract
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Green methods for synthesis of semiconductor materials
11.3 Biosynthesis
11.4 Photovoltaic materials through green synthesis
11.5 Considerations for greener fabrication of solar cells
11.6 Conclusion: Prospects for green synthesis of solar cells
References
Chapter Twelve. Sustainable solution-processed solar cells based on environmentally friendly nanocrystals
Abstract
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Antimony compounds
12.3 Bismuth compounds
12.4 Tin compounds
12.5 Iron compounds
12.6 Conclusions
Acknowledgments
References
Chapter Thirteen. Life cycle assessment of renewable energy from solar photovoltaic technologies
Abstract
13.1 Introduction to life cycle assessment
13.2 Life cycle assessment metrics
13.3 Life cycle assessment of various photovoltaic technologies
13.4 Future need for life cycle assessment of photovoltaic technologies
13.5 Conclusion
References
Section V: Concentrator and multijunction devices
Chapter Fourteen. Concentrator and multijunction solar cells
Abstract
14.1 Introduction: Classifications of relevant technologies
14.2 Concentrator compared to one sun solar cells
14.3 Multijunction solar cells for solar concentrator systems
14.4 Matching solar cells and concentrator optics for optimum performance
14.5 Conclusions
References
Chapter Fifteen. All perovskite tandem solar cells
Abstract
15.1 Introduction
15.2 Light capture and device management
15.3 All perovskite tandem architectures
15.4 All perovskite flexible tandem solar cells
15.5 Device stability
15.6 Conclusion
References
Chapter Sixteen. Recent advances in perovskite-containing tandem structures
Abstract
16.1 Introduction
16.2 An overview of tandem architectures
16.3 Challenges with tandem structures
16.4 Power losses in perovskite tandem design
16.5 Tandem architecture(s) advantages
16.6 Tandem configurations
16.7 Perovskite/Si tandem solar cells
16.8 Perovskite/copper indium gallium selenide tandem solar cells
16.9 Perovskite/perovskite tandem solar cells
16.10 Conclusion
References
Section VI: Practical applications of photovoltaics
Chapter Seventeen. Transparent photovoltaics: Overview and applications
Abstract
17.1 Transparent solar cells: An introduction
17.2 Solar cell parameters for (semi-)transparent applications
17.3 Electrodes in transparent solar cells
17.4 Types of transparent solar cells
17.5 Applications of transparent solar cells in agriculture
17.6 Transparent luminescent solar concentrators
17.7 Conclusion and future perspectives
Acknowledgments
References
Chapter Eighteen. Photovoltaic-powered vehicles: Current trends and future prospects
Abstract
18.1 Introduction
18.2 Recent trends in photovoltaic-powered vehicles
18.3 Solar cell technologies for photovoltaic-powered electric vehicles
18.4 Benefits of photovoltaic-powered vehicles and future directions
18.5 Conclusions
Acknowledgment
References
Chapter Nineteen. Space photovoltaics: New technologies, environmental challenges, and missions
Abstract
19.1 A brief history of space solar cells
19.2 Space environment: Concerns, challenges, and issues for space photovoltaics
19.3 Materials and devices: Connections to space exploration
19.4 Space applications and exploration missions: Past, present, and future
19.5 Conclusions
References
Index

Velumani Subramaniam

Velumani Subramaniam is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University, United States. He is presently working on novel micro- and nano-structured materials for harvesting renewable energy and for biomedical applications.

Affiliations and expertise

Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, United States

Ryne P. Raffaelle

Ryne P. Raffaelle (RPR) earned both a BS and MS in Physics from Southern Illinois University and a Ph.D. in Physics from Missouri University of Science and Technology. He is the Vice President for Research and Associate Provost at Rochester Institute of Technology (R.I.T.). He is the former Director of the National Center for Photovoltaics at the National Renewable Energy Lab of the U.S. Department of Energy. Prior to serving at NREL, he was the Academic Director for the Golisano Institute for Sustainability and Director of the NanoPower Research Laboratory at RIT. He has worked as a visiting scientist at the NASA Glenn Research Center, NASA Kennedy Research Center, and DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He is the author of over 200 refereed publications. He is on the Advisory Board of Elsevier’s Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing and is the Managing Editor of Progress in Photovoltaics, published by Wiley Interscience. He is the co-editor of several books on photovoltaics and nanotechnologies.

Affiliations and expertise

Vice President for Research and Associate Provost for Research, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, USA

Senthilarasu Sundaram

Senthilarasu Sundaram is an Associate Professor in the School of Computing, Engineering and Digital Technologies, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom. His research interests focus on sustainable energy technologies to create environmentally sustainable materials for energy generation and storage, building integrated applications, thermal storage, water remediation, and low-carbon heating applications.

Affiliations and expertise

Associate Professor, School of Computing, Engineering and Digital Technologies, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK

Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin

M.K. Nazeeruddin is a Professor of Chemistry at the EPFL Sion campus, and his current research at EPFL focuses on Perovskite Solar Cells and Light-emitting diodes. He has published more than 780 peer-reviewed papers, ten book chapters, and he is the inventor/co-inventor of over 90 patents. His work's high impact has been recognized by invitations to speak at over 300 international conferences. He appeared in the ISI listing of most cited chemists and has more than 150,000 citations with an h-index of 171. He teaches the “Functional Materials” course at EPFL and Korea University. According to the Web of Science in 2016, he is the 5th most cited chemist in the world and is one of the 19 scientists identified by Thomson Reuters as the World's Most Influential Scientific Minds in 2015. He has been named Thomson Reuters "Highly Cited Researcher" from 2014 to 2021 and listed among the Top 10 researchers in the perovskite solar cell research field by the Times Higher Education. He is directing and managing several industrial, national, and European Union projects. He has been appointed as World Class University professor by Korea University and Adjunct Professor by King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah. He has been elected to the European Academy of Sciences, Fellow of The Royal Society of Chemistry, and Fellow of Telangana Academy of Sciences and has won the 34th Khwarizmi International Award (KIA) Laureate in Fundamental Sciences, 2021.

Affiliations and expertise

Full Professor of Chemistry, EPFL Valais Wallis, Sion, Switzerland

Arturo Morales-Acevedo

Arturo Morales-Acevedo is Full Professor of Electrical Engineering at CINVESTAV – IPN (since 1983) and National Research Fellow (Emeritus) in Mexico. He earned a Ph. D. in Electrical Engineering (CINVESTAV - IPN, México), M. Sc. in Physics (and a David Ross Fellowship recipient, Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN, USA), and M. Sc. in Electrical Engineering (CINVESTAV-IPN, México). Currently he is a Fellow of the Mexican System for Scientific Research (Emeritus). He edited one book on solar cells (Intech, 2013) and is Associate Editor for Solar Energy journal (Elsevier) and Journal of Electronic Materials (Springer). He is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) where he also was a Distinguished Lecturer for the Electron Devices Society. He has done research at University Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris, France), at the National University of Colombia and at the University of Havana (Cuba). He has consulted for several companies related to semiconductor devices and photovoltaics technology. He is a member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences (AMC), Sigma-Xi, the Academy of Sciences of New York, IEEE and International Solar Energy Society (ISES). He has published over 200 papers in the refereed literature in semiconductors, materials processing, photovoltaics, and device technologies.

Affiliations and expertise

Full Professor of Electrical Engineering, CINVESTAV – IPN, Mexico City, Mexico

María Bernechea Navarro

María Bernechea Navarro obtained her Ph.D. (Cum laude) in 2006 at the Universidad de La Rioja, Logroño, Spain on synthesis, characterization and applications of platinum group organometallic complexesDuring her Ph.D., she worked for 6 months at the Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination (LCC-CRNS), in Toulouse, funded by a Marie Curie fellowship. After earning her Ph.D., Dr. Bernechea Navarro worked on a collaborative project between Universidad de Alcalá (UAH) and Instituto de Catálisis y Petroleoquímica (ICP-CSIC) on the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles and their use as catalysts. In 2010, she moved to the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) to work on the synthesis and characterization of colloidal nanocrystalline semiconductors for their use in solution-processed optoelectronic devices, such as photodetectors and solar cells, focusing on production of new solar cells materials composed of Earth-abundant non-toxic elements. In 2016, she was appointed Lecturer in Energy Materials at Cardiff University where she researched nanomaterials for clean energy applications. Since October 2017, she has been at her present post as ARAID researcher at the Institute of Nanoscience and Materials of Aragón-INMA (CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza). Her research interests include synthesis and characterization of functional nanomaterials for their use in energy-related applications, such as solar cells, electrochemical energy storage devices, (photo)catalysis, or thermoelectric devices; this work has resulted in the publication of more than 40 articles, many in prestigious journals.

Affiliations and expertise

Senior Researcher, ARAID Foundation, Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA), CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain

Aloysius F. Hepp

Aloysius F. Hepp is Chief Technologist at Nanotech Innovations and an independent consultant based in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned a PhD in Inorganic Photochemistry in 1983 from MIT and retired in December 2016 from the Photovoltaic & Electrochemical Systems Branch of the NASA Glenn Research Center (Cleveland). He was a visiting fellow at Harvard University from 1992–3. He was awarded the NASA Exceptional Achievement medal in 1997. He has served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Albany and Cleveland State University. Dr. Hepp has co-authored nearly 200 publications (including six patents) focused on processing of thin film and nanomaterials for I–III–VI solar cells, Li-ion batteries, integrated power devices and flight experiments, and precursors and spray pyrolysis deposition of sulfides and carbon nanotubes. He has co-edited twelve books on advanced materials processing, energy conversion and electronics, biomimicry, and aerospace technologies. He is Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing (MSSP) and is currently the chair of the International Advisory Board of MSSP, as well as serving on the Editorial Advisory Boards of Mater. Sci. and Engin. B and Heliyon. He has recently been appointed as Series Editor for the Vacuum and Thin-Film Deposition Technologies series and the Aerospace Fundamentals, Applications, and Exploration series.

Affiliations and expertise

Chief Technologist, Nanotech Innovations LLC and a Science Advisory Board Member, CoreWater Technologies, Inc., Oberlin, OH, USA

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Photovoltaics Beyond Silicon

Innovative Materials, Sustainable Processing Technologies, and Novel Device Structures

Purchase options

Innovate. Sustain. Transform.

Institutional subscription on ScienceDirect

Velumani Subramaniam

Ryne P. Raffaelle

Senthilarasu Sundaram

Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin

Arturo Morales-Acevedo

María Bernechea Navarro

Aloysius F. Hepp

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