Title :
Thermodynamic limits of hybrid photovoltaic systems using multiple junction solar cells with carrier transitions at intermediate band
Author :
Lee, Jongwon ; Honsberg, Christiana
Author_Institution :
Sch. of Electr., Comput. & Energy Eng., Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ, USA
Abstract :
We have proposed the first demonstration of hybrid thermodynamic approach between multiple junction solar cells and the intermediate band solar cells. Because of increasing number of transitions inside each multiple junction from intermediate band, reduced number of stacks in this hybrid solar cell can be possible to increase efficiency compared to more than four stacks of conventional multijunction solar cells. The maximum efficiency of two stacks hybrid solar cells has been enhanced and its value is larger than over 4 stacks of multijunction solar cells. We have also found optimum bandgap of each stack and studied optimum transition of each stack both from valence band to intermediate band and intermediate band to conduction band.
Keywords :
conduction bands; solar cells; thermodynamics; valence bands; carrier transitions; conduction band; hybrid photovoltaic systems; hybrid thermodynamic approach; intermediate band solar cells; multijunction solar cells; multiple-junction solar cells; thermodynamic limits; two-stack hybrid solar cells; valence band; Energy states; Equations; Mathematical model; Photonic band gap; Photonics; Photovoltaic cells; Sun;
Conference_Titel :
Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC), 2011 37th IEEE
Conference_Location :
Seattle, WA
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4244-9966-3
DOI :
10.1109/PVSC.2011.6186363