Degradation of solar cells

The paper surveys some of the mechanisms involved in the degradation of solar cells and their ancillaries. These mechanisms include processes that tend to reduce the performance of both conventional semiconductor solar cells and photoelectrochemical cells. The correct identification of these processes is clearly important in limiting degradation. Several general features emerge. One is the importance of a variety of recombination-assisted or excitation-assisted processes. Another is the role of theoretical studies in analysing especially complex or rapid processes for which experiment alone does not give a full description. Some cases are noted in which there are potential reductions in degradation rates.