Too Many Junctions?: A Case Study of Multijunction Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells

The benefit of two-terminal multijunction solar cells in regard to the number
of junctions (subcells) is critically evaluated. The optical and electrical losses
inherent in the construction of multijunction cells are analyzed using information
from thin-film silicon photovoltaics as a representative case. Although
the...

Novel Concepts for Silicon Based Photovoltaics and Photoelectrochemistry

Long term concerns about climate change and fossil fuel depletion will require a transition towards energy systems powered by solar radiation or other renewable sources. Novel concepts based on silicon materials and devices are investigated for applications in the next generation photovoltaic (PV) devices and photoelectrochemical (PEC) water...

Light management in thin-film silicon solar cells

Solar energy can fulfil mankind’s energy needs and secure a more balanced distribution of primary sources of energy. Wafer-based and thin-film silicon solar cells dominate todays’ photovoltaic market because silicon is a non-toxic and abundant material and high conversion efficiencies are achieved with silicon-based solar cells. To stay...