Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6534874 | Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells | 2016 | 12 Pages |
Abstract
Increased electrical power generated from a thin-film silicon (TF-Si) photovoltaic device can lead to a reduced cost of electricity production that will support the mass adoption of this technology as a renewable energy source. Extracting the highest conversion efficiency from 'champion' large area TF-Si modules has been the focus of development at TEL Solar AG, Trübbach. The layer deposition process adjustments and further module technology improvements that led to a significant increase in the absolute stabilized module conversion efficiency of large area (1.43 m2) tandem MICROMORPH⢠modules centered first on obtaining high quality amorphous TF-Si deposited materials for the top cell. This was integrated with microcrystalline TF-Si material for the bottom cell that was deposited under conditions close to the transition point between the amorphous and microcrystalline growth regimes. In an optimized solar cell design the TF-Si materials were then combined with effective light management technologies and an improved module layout. The end result of a world record large area (1.43 m2) stabilized module conversion efficiency of 12.34% was certified by the European Solar Test Installation (ESTI). The main technology contributions in the device design for this breakthrough result that generated more than 13.2% stabilized efficiency from each equivalent 1 cm2 of the active area of the full module are described.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Catalysis
Authors
J.S. Cashmore, M. Apolloni, A. Braga, O. Caglar, V. Cervetto, Y. Fenner, S. Goldbach-Aschemann, C. Goury, J.E. Hötzel, T. Iwahashi, J. Kalas, M. Kitamura, M. Klindworth, M. Kupich, G.-F. Leu, J. Lin, M.-H. Lindic, P.A. Losio, I. Sinicco,