Solar power and solar panels are getting a lot of attention as part of the solution to our energy crisis. The overwhelming majority of solar cells are fabricated from silicon with increasing efficiency and lowering cost as the materials range from amorphous noncrystalline to polycrystalline to. The best commercial solar cells based on singlecrystal silicon are about 18% efficient. From principles to new concepts wiley online library. Faculty of physics, shahid bahonar university, kerman, iran. From principles to new concepts, wileywch, weinheim, 2005. This thoroughly updated new edition of markvart and castaners solar cells, extracted from their industry standard practical handbook of photovoltaics, is the definitive reference covering the science and operation, materials and manufacture of solar cells. The theory of solar cells explains the process by which light energy in photons is converted into electric current when the photons strike a suitable semiconductor device. Fundamental properties of solar cells, principles and. Whether you are looking for general insight in this green technology or your ambition is to pursue a career in solar, introduction to solar cells is an excellent starting point. The readeris told why pv cells work, and how theyare made. Socalled thinfilm solar panels, although less efficient per square meter, tend to be much cheaper to produce, and they are the technology being tapped to realize the worlds largest proposed pv plant, the rancho cielo solar farm in belen, n. Jan 01, 2005 peter wurfel describes in detail all aspects of solar cell function, the physics behind every single step, as well as all the issues to be considered when improving solar cells and their efficiency.
The photoelectric effect allows construction of the automatic door openers that work when you walk through a light beam. System upgrade on tue, may 19th, 2020 at 2am et during this period, ecommerce and registration of new users may not be available for up to 12 hours. Electrical energy is one of the most useful forms of energy since it can be used for almost everything. Solar or photovoltaic cells convert the suns energy into electricity. To this end, general principles of solar cells and materials demands are explained in the first part of this book. He explains the pv principle from a thermodynamic point of view. Sep, 2016 the new edition of this highly regarded textbook provides a detailed overview of the most important characterization techniques for solar cells and a discussion of their advantages and disadvantages. Solar cell, also called photovoltaic cell, any device that directly converts the energy of light into electrical energy through the photovoltaic effect. It is intended to give students with a background in engineering, materials science, chemistry or physics a comprehensive introduction to materials concepts for solar cells. Based on the highly regarded and extremely successful first edition, this thoroughly revised, updated and expanded edition contains the latest knowledge on the mechanisms of solar energy conversion. New exercises after each chapter help students to pdf consolidate their freshly acquired knowledge, while the book also serves as a reference for researchers already working in this exciting and challenging field. The physics of solar cells the photoelectric effect the physical basis for solar cells is the photoelectric effect it was the explanation for this for which einstein won the nobel prize. Eachof thevisible andinvisible radiations of the introduction 5. We give the upper limit to the solar cell e ciency.
Physics of solar cells, the series on properties of. It is suitable for undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers new to the field. Rohsenow heat and mass transfer laboratory, mit images removed due to restrictions. Silicon is what is known as a semiconductor, meaning that it shares some of the properties of metals and some of those of an. The course is a tour through the fundamental disciplines including solar cell history, why we need solar energy, how solar cells produce power, and how they work.
Denis ar con ljubljana, may 2011 abstract this seminar is a short overview of current photovoltaics. Another academic book about solar semiconductor physics. Ch4 solar cell operational principles tu delft ocw. The working principle of a solar cell tu delft ocw. Solar energy, also called photovoltaic energy, is undergoing rapid changes thanks to massive investment in research and development. The textbook describes in detail all aspects of solar cell function, the physics behind every single step. This chapter begins with the basic semiconductor physics, which is necessary to understand the operation of pn junction solar cell, and then describes the basic principles of pn junction solar cell. The working principle of a solar cell in this chapter we present a very simple model of a solar cell. Peter wurfel describes in detail all aspects of solar cell function, the physics behind every single step, as well as all the issues to be considered when improving solar cells and their efficiency. All the aspects presented in this chapter will be discussed in greater detail in the following chapters. From principles to new concepts physics of solar cells. Working principles of solar and other energy conversion cells liu, wang, wang and yang 4 into electrical energy. Green plants convert sunlight into biomass with a typical yearly. Physics of solar cells, from principles to new concepts.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading physics of solar cells. Peter wurfel universitat karlsruhe institut fur angewandte physik. Mar 23, 2009 the textbook describes in detail all aspects of solar cell function, the physics behind every single step, as well as all the issues to be considered when improving. This article will introduce various types of new solar cells, as well as the principle and development of solar cells. Concepts for improving the efficiency of solar cells. Pdf download physics of solar cells from principles to new. From basic principles to advanced concepts by peter wurfel. The textbook describes in detail all aspects of solar cell function, the physics behind every single step, as well as all the issues to be considered when improving solar cells and their efficiency. Fundamental properties of solar cells, principles and varieties of. It describes in detail all aspects of solar cell function, the physics behind every single step, as well as all the issues to be considered when improving solar cells and their efficiency. Concepts for improving the efficiency of solar cells prospects for the future solutions this text contains the latest knowledge on the mechanisms of solar energy conversion. According to the carnots theorem that is a result of the second law of thermodynamics, the energy conversion efficiency of heat engines is low. From principles to new concepts wurfels book describes in detail all aspects of solar cell function, the physics behind every single step, as well as all.
The lectures the lectures are organized into 12 units. From basic principles to advanced concepts as want to read. More complete and rigorous treatments are available from a number of sources 26. Peter wurfel describes in detail all aspects of solar cell function, the physics behind every single step, as well as all the issues to. From basic principles to advanced concepts no longer used.
From principles to new concepts, wiley, hoboken, nj 2005. It is essential reading for engineers, installers, designers, and policymakers who. Next generation photovoltaics and its applications, springer, new york 2006. Here, an introduction is provided to the essential concepts needed to examine the physics of solar cells. Application of pn junctions within solar cells is discussed. This requires that the diffusion lengths of the charge carriers are larger than the thickness of the absorber.
And if you are familiar with thermodynamics, listen to the interview with our starring guest, peter wurfel, who write the famous book physics of solar cells. The text explains the terms and concepts of solar cell device physics and shows the reader how to formulate and solve relevant physical problems. From principles to new concepts wurfels book describes in detail all aspects of solar cell function, the physics behind. Based on the highly successful german version, but thoroughly revised and updated, this edition contains the latest knowledge on the mechanisms of solar energy conversion. Conversion of chemical energy into electrical energy 6. Customers who viewed this item also viewed these digital items. Wurfel p physics of solar cells from principles to new conceptsspringer 2005.
Whether theyre adorning your calculator or orbiting our planet on satellites, they rely on the the photoelectric effect. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The book offers a wellbalanced treatment of physical principles and materialsrelated concepts of solar cells, and considers both classical and new trends in this rapidly. Solar cells can be fabricated from a number of semiconductor materials, most commonly. Based on the highly regarded and extremely successful first edition. The sunslight looks white because it is made up of manydifferent colorsthat, combined, produce a white light. Many notions presented in this chapter will be new but nonetheless the general idea of how a solar cell works should be clear. Thereis also a chapter on advanced types of silicon cells. The theoretical studies are of practical use because they predict the fundamental limits of a solar cell, and give guidance on the phenomena that contribute to losses and solar cell efficiency. Wurfer, physics of solar cells, from principles to new concepts. It ends with the concepts of solar cell using nanocrystalline materials. Laboratory solar cells based on cheaper dye sensitization of oxide semiconductors are typically less than 10% efficient, and those based on even cheaper organic materials are 25% efficient. It describes in detail all aspects of solar cell function, the physics behind every single step, as well as all the issues to be considered when. Chapters 68cover the designs of systems constructed from individual cells includingpossible constructions for putting cells together and the equipment needed for a practioal producer of electrical energy.
After discussing some basics from electrodynamics in chapter 4 and solar radiation in chapter 5, we spend several chapters on explaining the most important concepts of. Working principles of solar and other energy conversion cells. An important issue for designing an efficient solar cell is that the electrons and holes generated in the absorber layer reach the membranes. Read here pdf download physics of solar cells from principles to new concepts pdf online pdf. Patel, wind and solar power systems, second edition. Based on the highly successful german version, but thoroughly revised and updated, this edition contains the latest knowledge on the mechanisms of. A new theoretical approach is proposed for the performance simulation of multijunction mj solar cells, starting from the weakness and strength of the hovel model and of the transfer matrix. Nelson 8 19 february 2010 imperial college london u. The photoelectric effect allows construction of the automatic door openers that work when you walk through a. Silicon is what is known as a semiconductor, meaning that it shares some of. The new edition of this highly regarded textbook provides a detailed overview of the most important characterization techniques for solar cells and a discussion of their advantages and disadvantages. Wurfel p physics of solar cells from principles to new concepts. Besides the energy in our food necessary to sustain our body and its functions 100w 30 time more energy is used on average to make our life more comfortable.