Search results for " Solar cell"

Anomalous performance enhancement effects in Ruthenium-based Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

2017

Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) are nowadays more and more employed since they present lower production costs than traditional silicon photovoltaic devices. An interesting phenomenon affecting such devices consists in the fact that current density-voltage (J-V) characteristic can depend on the history of the cell prior to the measurement, which often can be assimilated to an anomalous hysteresis effect. In this work, we study such phenomenon on Ruthenium-based DSSCs through a series of measurements performed after applying different values of external electrical field to the cell. The measurements have been carried out both under simulated sunlight (AM1.5G - 1000 W/m2) and in the dark. W…

Experimental Investigation on the Performances of Innovative PV Vertical Structures

2019

The sustainable development of our planet is considerably related to a relevant reduction of CO2 global emissions, with building consumption contributing more than 40%. In this scenario, new technological conceptions, such as building-integrated photovoltaic technology, emerged in order to satisfy the requirements of sustainability imposed by the European Union. Therefore, the aim of this work is to provide a technical and economical comparison of the performances of different vertical-mounted innovative photovoltaic systems, potentially integrated on a building instead of on traditional windows or glass walls. The proposed investigation was carried out by means of experimental tests on thr…

The assessment of the reliability of an innovative 3rd generation solar cell integrated with “thermal belt” glass block

2017

Glass block is a building product widely used for the construction of translucent building façades and roofs. The need to adapt the product to the regulations in the field of energy saving and environmental sustainability has led to the design of innovative configurations, through the integration of different sub-components. These ones are able to improve its energy performance by means of the integration of a“thermal belt”, cold glued to the glass shells, which constitute the traditional glass block, and 3rd generation solar cells. This paper reports the first results of the experimental program designed to assess some durability components: inherent and critical reliability. <div id="g…

Efficiency of concentration photovoltaic cells governed by luminescence processes

2013

The development of multi-junctions III-V semiconductors solar cells, that combine high conversion efficiency (over 40%) and capability of working under high illumination intensity (up to 1000 suns), has stimulated a rapid growth of concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) technology. The performance of these cells is based on the matching between the semiconductors band gap and the solar spectrum so as to optimize the current balancing between the subcells. This requirement is also important in connection with the CPV modules using lenses, mirrors, optical coupling compounds that introduce a wavelength dependent response to the sunlight. Therefore, care must be exercised in designing optimum cells …

3D Order for Improved Organic Solar Cells Effiency

2010

Donor-π-acceptors containing the 10-(1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene)anthracene unit for dye-sensitized solar cells

2012

Two donor-acceptor molecular tweezers incorporating the 10-(1,3-dithiol-2-ylidene)anthracene unit as donor group and two cyanoacrylic units as accepting/anchoring groups are reported as metal-free sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells. By changing the phenyl spacer with 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) units, the absorption spectrum of the sensitizer is red-shifted with a corresponding increase in the molar absorptivity. Density functional calculations confirmed the intramolecular charge-transfer nature of the lowest-energy absorption bands. The new dyes are highly distorted from planarity and are bound to the TiO(2) surface through the two anchoring groups in a unidentate binding for…

The Relation between Photoconductivity Threshold and Open-Circuit Voltage in Organic Solar Cells

2022

Financial support provided by Scientific Research Project for Students and Young Researchers No. SJZ/2020/08 implemented at the Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia is greatly acknowledged. Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia as the Centre of Excellence has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme H2020-WIDESPREAD-01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2 under grant agreement No. 739508, project CAMART².

Fabrication and characterization of Donor/Acceptor heterojunction organic solar cells

2018

Results of initial development of organic solar cells having the Donor/Acceptor heterojunction structure with and without an exciton blocking layer are reported. Characterization is carried out in AM1.0 condition with 100 mW/cm2 incident optical power density. The best device has the exciton blocking layer and exhibits an open circuit voltage VOC = 0.43 V, a short circuit current density JSC = 2.35 mA/cm2 with a fill factor FF ≈ 50%, an external quantum efficiency (electrons/s over incident photons/s) EQE ≈ 5% and a power conversion efficiency of about 0.5%.

Thin Film CIGS Solar Cells, Photovoltaic Modules, and the Problems of Modeling

2013

Starting from the results regarding a nonvacuum technique to fabricate CIGS thin films for solar cells by means of single-step electrodeposition, we focus on the methodological problems of modeling at cell structure and photovoltaic module levels. As a matter of fact, electrodeposition is known as a practical alternative to costly vacuum-based technologies for semiconductor processing in the photovoltaic device sector, but it can lead to quite different structural and electrical properties. For this reason, a greater effort is required to ensure that the perspectives of the electrical engineer and the material scientist are given an opportunity for a closer comparison and a common language.…

Simulation analysis of Ruthenium-based Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

2016

Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC), usually referred as one of the most promising third generation photovoltaic devices, is an electrochemical device in which a molecule (i.e., the dye) chemisorbed onto the surface of a porous material absorbs the incident light and, thus, transfers an electron to the wide band gap semiconductor material. The injected electrons can diffuse through the semiconductor up to the collecting anode without the risk of recombination. The roles of the electrolyte which permeates the cell are to regenerate the ionized molecule and to implement a hole-transporting layer, allowing to repeat the abovementioned process. Thanks to this behaviour, semiconductors with large a…