The current industrial standard photovoltaic (PV) modules are dominated by crystalline-silicon (c-Si) PV technology, which cannot be easily recycled. This has generated worldwide concerns regarding the scarcity of critical raw materials and large waste streams of PV modules in the coming years. To overcome this problem, a lot of ongoing research focuses on upscaling the recycling process of present c-Si module designs by chemical, thermal and mechanical processes. Alternative research focuses on the development of new PV modules with enhanced circularity by design. In this work, we propose a new circular PV module design based on liquid-encapsulation technology in which silicon solar cells are encapsulated with a suitable liquid and an edge sealant instead of a polymer sheet. Our optical studies show that the selected liquids exhibit similar optical performance to ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) due to their comparable refractive indices. We fabricate one-cell prototypes and observe comparable efficiency of liquid-encapsulated and EVA-encapsulated modules, signifying recyclable module design without an additional efficiency loss. To validate the module performance, we also simulate the optical performance of modules with different encapsulation materials. Furthermore, the new modules retained more than 95% of their efficiency after inducing accelerated ageing through damp heat, thermal cycling and humidity freeze tests, indicating the liquids as an excellent encapsulant material for PV. In the end, we disassemble the liquid-filled PV module and show the recovered components, which can directly be reused in new products. Therefore, this modular design bypasses the recycling process. Even more promising, the liquid encapsulation can improve the stability of perovskite/c-Si tandem solar cells due to the moisture barrier, which will be studied in the future. Adding further possibilities, in principle, with additional engineering, the liquid encapsulation could be used in a heat loop to turn the PV module into a photovoltaic-thermal (PV-T) module, thereby boosting the efficiency potential beyond that of traditional PV concept.

Perovskite/silicon (PS) technology includes three main configurations: two-terminal (2T), three-terminal (3T), and four-terminal (4T). Previous studies have made various comparisons between these configurations, significantly advancing our understanding of these devices. While these studies mostly focus on simulations on cell level, we perform bandgap energy ((Formula presented.)) optimization at the module level for different configurations under outdoor conditions. Using opto-electrical simulations, we predict the energy yield of each module at four geographical locations, with varying values of (Formula presented.). The optimal (Formula presented.) for the 2T, 3T, and 4T modules are 1.62, 1.80, and 1.82 eV, respectively. We also perform a loss analysis to explore the differences in power losses among the configurations. These loss differences can be attributed to the configurations having different optimal (Formula presented.) values (affecting the thermalization losses) or different module designs (affecting the interconnection losses). Among all losses, mismatch losses play the most critical role in optimizing the bandgap. Overall, all optimized configurations have similar energy yields (all differences within 1.5%) across all locations. Finally, we compare the robustness of the different configurations against different scenarios of perovskite degradation. Our results show that the 4T module is the least sensitive to degradation in the perovskite subcell.

As crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells approach their theoretical efficiency limit, the perovskite/silicon (PerSi) tandem technology offers a promising solution for further improving the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) modules. However, as perovskite cells are facing stability issues, it is unclear whether PerSi modules will have a larger lifetime energy yield (LEY) than c-Si modules. In this work, we present a novel methodology to simulate the LEY of PerSi tandem devices, accounting for environmental stress factor-dependent degradation across four different climates. Our approach combines a physics-based analytical degradation model for components shared with c-Si modules and a scenario-based degradation model for the perovskite top cell. This method enables us to identify the tolerable degradation rate (k_tol) of the perovskite cell under different scenarios and climatic conditions. We find that k_tol is lowest when degradation occurs in the short-circuit current, reaching a minimum value of 1.2% per year in Delft (the Netherlands). Additionally, we demonstrate that k_tol inversely depends on the module lifetime, reaching values up 7.6% per year in Lagos (Nigeria). Moreover, we show that module efficiency (η_mod) significantly impacts k_tol. For instance, increasing η_mod from 28.0% to 32.9% raises k_tol by approximately 50%. Additionally, we propose a simplified model that can predict k_tol without the computationally intensive simulations, which has a root-mean-square error of 0.34% per year. Lastly, environmental impact assessments reveal that PerSi modules are more sustainable in all impact categories when the degradation rate is 80% of k_tol for LEY.

The degradation of perovskite solar cells due to reverse bias (RB) is one of the remaining challenges hindering the commercialization of the technology. To overcome this challenge, a thorough understanding of and control over the breakdown (BD) voltage are crucial. A prerequisite for this is that the community “speaks the same language,” that is, that the reported BD voltages are comparable. A review of literature data shows that the impact of measurement parameters is often unknown and seems to depend strongly on sample properties. It follows that standardization is the only way to reach comparability. Here, a set of measurement parameters to fill this gap is proposed. Additionally, various definitions of a “BD voltage” are used in parallel without any way of relating them to each other; this metric and its determination need to be considered as well. After a thorough discussion of the available definitions, the use of the point of maximum curvature is introduced. Its main advantage is the possible connection to an analytical description of the BD mechanism. In this way, a starting point for scientists new to the field of RB stability is provided, and the ground for a broader discussion in the community is prepared.

Photovoltaic (PV) system performance is linked to climatic conditions in which the system operates. This leads to the Köppen-Geiger-Photovoltaic (KGPV) climate classification. KGPV is created by overlaying four irradiation levels with the commonly used Köppen-Geiger climate zones. Potential drawbacks of this approach are that the climate features are not considered in a combined manner in the sorting process and that the KGPV zones inherent a dependence on precipitation. We propose a machine-learning approach to address this deficiencies and improve PV climate classification. First, supervised learning is used to evaluate the correlation between climate features and a PV system's specific energy yield. We find that the inclusion of the darkest and brightest irradiation months as well as UV irradiation improves accuracy, while wind speed, relative humidity, precipitation and annual mean daily temperature difference have little impact on accuracy. Subsequently, k-means clustering combined with comprehensive qualitative analysis, identifies a PV classification based on seven climate features and 21 clusters. A mountainous climate characterized by moderate to low temperature and high irradiation is uncovered compared to KGPV. Moreover, this new PV climate classification reduces the sum of squared errors by 58 % compared to KGPV clearly signifying a more accurate PV climate classification approach.

This article introduces a parallel differential power processing (PDPP) architecture for photovoltaic (PV)/battery applications. The PV to Virtual Bus (PV2VB) architecture enables the integration of a battery and manages its power while performing maximum power point tracking on the PV strings. In the proposed PV2VB PDPP architecture, the battery is positioned at the virtual bus, acting as the input for all string-level converters (SLCs). By selecting a lower voltage for the battery at the virtual bus compared to the PV string or the main bus voltages, component voltage ratings can be reduced. The architecture employs dual active bridge converters connected to bridgeless (BL) converters as SLCs to generate both positive and negative output voltages while providing isolation. These SLCs track the maximum power point of each PV string, while the central converter manages battery charging and discharging. Experimental results confirm the performance and effectiveness of the proposed PV2VB PDPP architecture, achieving efficiencies between 95.5% and 99%.

A thorough understanding of the small-signal response of solar cells can reveal intrinsic device characteristics and pave the way for innovations. This study investigates the impedance of crystalline silicon PN junction devices using TCAD simulations, focusing on the impact of frequency, bias voltage, and the presence of a low–high (LH) junction. It is shown that the PN junction exhibits the behavior of a parallel resistor–capacitor circuit (RC-loop) with fixed element values at low frequencies, but undergoes relaxation in both resistance R_j and capacitance C_j as frequency increases. Moreover, it is revealed that the addition of a LH junction impacts the impedance by altering R_j, C_j, and the series resistance R_s. Finally, while various publications on solar-cell impedance model the LH junction using an RC-loop, the findings in this study indicate that such a model does not accurately represent the underlying physics. Instead, this approach is likely compensating for the frequency-dependent behavior of R_j and C_j.

The authors have operated a few minor modifications in response to helpful feedback received post-publication from the readership. These updates are solely intended to clarify certain aspects of the article and enhance its overall readability. The first update concerns the caption of Fig. 7, which has been revised to improve clarity for readers through the addition of explanatory notes. The second update pertains to the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of a technology developer in Table 3, which has been updated based on the latest provided information. As a derivative of this change, Fig. 8(a), that is a visual representation of Table 3, has also been updated to reflect the revised TRLs. Additionally, the note in the caption of Table 3 has been slightly modified for improved clarity. These modifications do not affect the outcomes, analysis, or conclusions of the article and are solely intended to improve clarity for readers and consistency with respect to most recent information.[Figure presented] Fig. 7: Proposed classification framework. FPV designs compiled and classified based on research publications and designs used by technology providers. Note: (i) each reported archetype can be technically made modular with companies deploying different (proprietary) solutions for upscaling the surface coverage of the farm; (ii) the adjective “large” in the acronym ”LRP” is related to the area of the floater as a surface that is at least bigger than one PV module. Table 3: TRLs of different FPV archetypes hosted by different organisations. Note: This table shows the TRLs based on publicly available information and represents a snapshot in time. The TRLs are subject to change over time and may not reflect the most up-to-date values.[Figure presented][Figure presented] Fig. 8: Current technology readiness landscape. (a) The trend of TRLs for inland and offshore solar deployments, (b) number of organisations working on inland and offshore solar deployment. Data derived from Table 3.

Photovoltaic (PV) systems are frequently subject to voltage and current mismatches caused by various factors, such as partial shading, differing panel tilt angles, dust accumulation, and cell degradation among PV elements. These mismatches can significantly reduce the overall efficiency of PV systems by preventing individual modules or strings from operating at their maximum power point (MPP). This article introduces a novel architecture termed PV to virtual bus series–parallel differential power processing, which effectively mitigates mismatches in both series-connected PV modules (i.e., current mismatches) and parallel-connected PV strings (i.e., voltage mismatches). The proposed architecture employs a combination of string-level converters (SLCs) and module-integrated converters (MICs) that process only a fraction of the total power. Notably, the architecture leverages virtual buses on the primary side of both SLCs and MICs, leading to reduced voltage rating requirements for SLCs and lower power rating demands for MICs. This design reduces the stress on individual components, making the system more cost-effective and reliable. The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the requirements for SLCs and MICs, along with a detailed explanation of how the proposed architecture ensures that PV modules consistently operate at their respective MPPs. In addition, it explains how the virtual bus voltage is balanced through mathematical power flow equations, ensuring stable and efficient operation. Finally, the architecture’s effectiveness is validated through real-time simulation results with two PLECS real-time (RT) boxes, which demonstrate its capability to address mismatch issues and optimize the performance of PV systems.

Solar farm installers generally struggle with the allocation of irradiance sensors throughout the plant area, which are essential for monitoring purposes. Despite the existence of the International Electrotechnical Commission guidelines for photovoltaic (PV) plant monitoring, no specific guidance is provided when it comes to allocating sensors. This can be especially problematic for solar farms in hilly terrain. In this work, a software tool is built to allocate horizontal and in-plane irradiance sensors. Additionally, advice on the optimum number of sensors and the prevented error is provided based on the layout of the farm. The methodology consists of calculating the irradiance at every point of the solar farm area and finding the one closest to the average. This average is computed differently depending on the sensor type and monitoring purpose. A modification of the BRL irradiance decomposition model is also proposed to reduce the bias of the original model. The software has been applied to two case studies of existing solar farms in hilly areas in Greece and Germany, showing its applicability for real case scenarios in different climates and geological landscapes. The runtime of the software tool is mainly a function of solar farm size and the land morphology of its location. This methodology has been only developed for monofacial fixed-tilted PV farms.

In this study, a modeling methodology is presented for evaluating the performance of a hybrid system integrating different types of solar collectors, namely photovoltaic (PV), glazed flat plate solar thermal (ST) and unglazed photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) collectors to harvest solar energy. Further, the system is integrated with a seasonal storage that is an aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system, a heat exchanger and a heat pump (HP) to provide heating, including space heating (SH), domestic hot water (DHW), as well as cooling. The investigation considers various operational modes depending on the climate conditions and building characteristics. The study focuses on comparison of solar collectors in realistic scenarios, examining heating type and insulation levels. Real energy consumption data considering five residential buildings in Amsterdam is employed for the analysis. Annual simulations for the considered buildings are conducted for SH and DHW coverage, along with cooling. The results indicate that ATES combined with glazed ST collectors demonstrates superior heat storage while HP with PV/ST combination and floor heating achieves an average coefficient of performance (COP) of 6.09 for both SH and DHW. In contrast, HP combined with PVTs shows the lowest performance, with a COP of around 5 when used with radiator heating. Additionally, majority of the demand is covered using HP storage mode with seasonal storage and HP while building insulation plays a crucial role.

As climate change becomes more critical and renewable energy sources expand, land-based photovoltaic (PV) systems face limitations due to competition with agriculture and housing. The sea offers a promising location for offshore floating PV (OFPV) systems. Understanding fluid–structure interactions is crucial for these systems. This work explores how different parameters affect the structural load on the floating platform and related electrical power losses. We develop a multi-physics framework integrating the mechanical model of a large floating structure with the optoelectrical modeling of PV modules. This framework analyzes a hypothetical OFPV platform design with various floater configurations, from a single large floater to multiple small floaters connected with free hinges. The results reveal a trade-off in the number of floaters. Power mismatch loss is lower for platforms with fewer, longer floaters. However, structural loads vary, with high stresses in longer floaters due to the elastic response. Young’s modulus impacts longer floaters where the elastic response dominates, while cross-section fill ratio affects shorter floaters, where the rigid-body response prevails. The floater-beam thickness has the most significant impact across various floater lengths.

In the quest for advancing photovoltaic efficiency, the adoption of multijunction solar cell architectures has emerged as a promising approach. Perovskite/silicon double-junction solar cells have already achieved efficiencies surpassing 33%, exceeding the theoretical efficiency limit for single-junction devices. To enhance efficiency even further, exploring perovskite/perovskite/silicon (PPS) triple-junction solar cells seems a logical next step, as they offer the potential to further reduce thermalization losses and achieve even higher efficiencies. This study delves into the potential of various configurations of PPS modules, exploring different subcell interconnections. Initially, we present an optoelectrical model to simulate the performance of these devices, incorporating both luminescence coupling and cell-to-module losses. This enables us to optimize the bandgap energy of the top and middle perovskite subcells under both standard test conditions (STC) and outdoor conditions. Our analysis reveals that the addition of a perovskite subcell can improve the STC efficiency up to 9%–13%. This gain in STC performance also translates into a similar gain in energy yield, meaning that triple-junction devices produce 8%–14% more electricity than their double-junction reference devices.

Sequential thermal evaporation is an emerging technique for obtaining perovskite (PVK) photoactive materials for solar cell applications. Advantages include solvent-free processing, accurate stoichiometry control, and scalable processing. Nevertheless, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PVK solar cells (PSCs) fabricated by evaporation still lags behind that of solution-processed PSCs. Here, based on multi-cycle sequential thermal evaporation, we systematically investigate the effects of the post-deposition annealing temperature on the PVK properties in terms of surface morphology, opto-electronic properties, and device performance. We find that the average grain size increases to almost 1 μm and charge carrier mobilities exceed 50 cm2 V−1 s−1 when the annealing temperature is increased to 170 °C. We introduce a trace of PbCl2 to the multi-cycle sequential deposition to improve the absorber crystallinity at a lower annealing temperature of 150 °C, as evidenced by the XRD and PL analyses. The resulting PSC in a p–i–n structure yields a PCE of 18.5% with a cell area of 0.09 cm2. With the same deposition parameters, the cell area is scaled up to 0.36 cm2, achieving champion PCEs of 17.06%. This indicates the great potential of this technology for the commercialization of PSCs in the future.

Optimizing the deposition parameters in the fabrication of passivating contacts for crystalline silicon solar cells is critical for improving efficiency. This study explored the influence of varying RF power of Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) on the quality of hydrogenated intrinsic amorphous silicon ( a-Si:H) films. The aim is to manufacture in-situ phosphorous-doped poly-Si/SiO_x/c-Si passivating contacts with a-Si:H as buffer layer between the tunnelling oxide and the n-type poly-Si. The microstructure factor of our intrinsic layers increases from 0.176 to 0.804, that is from higher to lower film density, as the RF power increases from 5 W to 55 W. Analysis using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Optical Microscopy indicates that the Si content in SiO_x is correlated with the formation of pinholes. Our detailed analysis showed that varying the RF power when depositing a-Si:H contacting layer is crucial in altering both the Si⁴⁺ content in SiO_x and the pinhole density, due to the interplay between the plasma etching and the buffering effects during of the a-Si:H layer growth. Notably, the sample processed with 25 W exhibited the maximum pinhole density, the lowest Si⁴⁺ content in SiO_x and the deepest phosphorus in-diffusion, potentially yielding superior results in passivation quality and contact resistivity under optimized PECVD conditions.

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the optical and electronic properties of thin films of molybdenum oxide and tungsten oxide to implement hole-selective contact for heterojunction solar cells. These contacts are currently viewed as an alternative for the fabrication of doping-free solar cells. However, the spreading of this technology is still limited due to the development of S-shaped J-V curves, which affect the electrical performance of the cells, and further optimization in the material deposition process is therefore crucial to overcome these challenges. To improve transition metal oxide-based heterojunction technology, this work investigates the impact of oxygen vacancies on electrical performance, particularly their role in S-shaped J-V curves. Defect density evaluation through nondestructive techniques like photothermal deflection spectroscopy together with a detailed experimental characterization is presented in this paper to highlight the structural and optical properties of the films. Prototypes of solar cells incorporating hole-selective contacts with tungsten and molybdenum oxide are prepared to show S-shaped J-V characteristics under AM 1.5 illumination. An equivalent circuit modeling was used for understanding the electrical characteristics of the prototypes. Furthermore, this approach offers insights into the optimization of the performances of devices.

Research into the impact of innovative sustainable energy experiments and demonstrations is crucial to diversifying, scaling up, and accelerating the sustainable energy transition. Although there is vast research into sustainable energy experiments and demonstrations, research literature offers a fragmented collection of findings. A coherent overview of themes and insights regarding the transformative impact of innovative sustainable energy experiments and demonstrations on sustainable energy systems from the past, present, and near future is lacking and necessary to increase experiments and demonstrations' impact on the sustainable energy transition. The research in this study fills this knowledge gap by providing such an overview and yields novel insights into the organized function and impact of experiments and demonstrations. It spans a broad spectrum of sustainable energy technologies, the empirical domains where these are invented, developed and applied, and the stakeholders involved. The overview is the outcome of a Delphi study in which the insights of 47 international scientific research experts in sustainable energy experiments and demonstrations are bundled and explained. This study presents a thematic overview of the significant insights regarding past and current sustainable energy experiments and demonstrations and outlines a research agenda for the future. Policymakers, practitioners, and scientists can leverage this to inform their sustainable energy policies, business strategies, and research programs.

Bifacial perovskite/silicon solar cells can combine the advantages of tandem technology (high efficiencies) and bifacial modules (additional received irradiance from the rear) to increase the energy yield of photovoltaic (PV) systems further. In literature, it has already been shown that for two-terminal tandems this would require a lower bandgap energy (E_g) for the perovskite cell, as the rear irradiance increases the current in the bottom cell creating a current mismatch, if this is not considered during optimization. This work expands on bifacial two-terminal tandem optimization by considering aspects not included before. Besides the E_g, the thickness (d) of the perovskite is also optimized, as this also affects the current matching. Additionally, this work studies the trends in different energy losses of the PV module to better understand what affects the optimal perovskite cell. Our simulations show that the optimal E_g is 1.61–1.65 eV and the optimal d is 650–750 nm, which agrees with the observations in literature. The optimal E_g and d are mostly a trade-off between mismatch and thermalization losses, meaning that the mismatch losses should not be fully minimized. Additionally, the irradiance from the rear side is converted less efficiently than the front side irradiance due to larger thermalization and reflection losses. Therefore, the energy yield of bifacial tandem modules, compared to monofacial tandem ones, only increases for large ground albedo. Finally, our results show that the bifacial tandems have over a 25% gain in energy yield compared to bifacial single junction modules and up to 5% gain compared to monofacial tandem modules.

In this work, we optimize cerium-doped indium oxide – ICO – thin films with respect to sputtering parameters such as oxygen flow, deposition pressure, applied RF power. Optimized 35-nm-thick ICO layer demonstrated a mobility of 44.22 cm²/Vs, a carrier concentration of 1.65 × 10²⁰/cm³, and a resistivity of 8.56 × 10⁻⁴ Ω cm. Application of such layers into front/back contact silicon heterojunction (FBC-SHJ) solar cells enhanced the short-circuit current density (J_SC) by 0.67 when compared to SHJ cell endowed with tin-doped indium oxide (ITO), respectively. This enhancement yielded an absolute power conversion efficiency (PCE) improvement of 0.55 %, reaching efficiencies of around 23.6 % for devices with ICO layers.

Polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) carrier-selective passivating contacts (CSPCs), featuring high photoconversion efficiency (PCE) and cost-effectiveness, have emerged as a promising approach for high-efficiency crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells. To minimize parasitic absorption losses induced by doped poly-Si window layers, wide bandgap oxygen-alloyed poly-Si (poly-SiO_x) layers are developed. However, challenges persist in achieving excellent surface passivation for boron-doped poly-SiO_x contact stacks, likely caused by boron diffusion during annealing and the reduced doping concentration resulting from lower crystallinity as oxygen content increases. In this study, we investigate the impact on the passivating contact structure and solar cell performance of a 10-nm thick intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon buffer layer with varying oxygen content (a-Si (O_x):H) deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and placed between the tunneling silicon oxide (SiO_x) and the poly-SiO_x (p⁺). After the hydrogenation step, we obtain both high passivation quality with implied open circuit voltage (iV_oc) of 728.3 mV and low contact resistivity (ρ_c) of 59.18 mΩ cm² on polished surface for oxygen-free a-Si:H buffer layer. These improvements can be attributed to the appropriate thickness of the tunnel oxide and confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, to higher crystallinity of the buffer layer, which facilitates more efficient doping in the buffer layer. This is evidenced by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results. At the device level, a front-side textured, rear-side flat, rear junction poly-SiO_x/poly-SiO_x solar cell on n-type c-Si wafer, an efficiency improvement can be observed from 3.55 % without a PECVD buffer layer to 18.9 % with an oxygen-free a-Si:H PECVD buffer layer. The impact of the buffer layer crystallinity on cell performance is further demonstrated by deploying a 10-nm thick LPCVD buffer layer, which facilitates an efficiency of 21.15 % for the same device structure.