The book establishes from the beginning a simple but very rich. Fundamental properties of solar cells, principles and. Physics of solar cells wiley online books wiley online library. Sunlight can be converted into electricity by exciting electrons in a solar cell. I want to learn the fundamentals of solar cells in general and. It can yield chemical fuel via natural photosynthesis in green plants or artificial photosynthesis in. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the physics of the photovoltaic cell. It is a form of photoelectric cell, defined as a device whose electrical characteristics, such as current, voltage, or resistance, vary when exposed to light individual solar cell devices can be. Basic physics of solar cells technology, manufacturing and. Publisher summary the dyesensitized solar cell dssc is the newest photovoltaic device configuration. Based on the highly successful german version, but thoroughly revised and updated, this edition contains the latest knowledge on the mechanisms of. Rohsenow heat and mass transfer laboratory, mit images removed due to restrictions. 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 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.
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. Writing a comprehensive book on existing photovoltaic pv systems is almost impossible due to the large literature present nowadays. 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. Photovoltaic solar energy conversion provides an introduction to the fundamental physical principles of solar cells. From basic principles to advanced concepts no longer used. 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. Light shining on the solar cell produces both a current and a voltage to generate electric power. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the physics of solar cells. Basic photovoltaic principles and me1hods serisp2901448 solar information module 62 published february 1982 this book presents a nonmathematical explanation of the theory and design of pv solar cells and systems. California leads the united states in solar energy production. The text covers the ground from the fundamental principles of semiconductor physics to the simple models used to describe solar cell operation. For convection cells on the suns surface, see granule solar physics. Eia puts the countrys production of photovoltaic solar power at 16,000 megawatthours mwh in 2005, and rising to 15,874,000 mwh in 2014. It can yield chemical fuel via natural photosynthesis in green plants or artificial photosynthesis in humanengineered systems.
Electrical contacts made from busbars the larger silvercolored strips and fingers the smaller ones are printed on the silicon wafer. Fairly thorough book on solar cells including extensive coverage of photovoltaics and semiconductor properties, design and implementation, requires basic physics background and goes through calculations of various photometric topics. Therefore, asi amorphous solar cell is comparatively cheaper and widely available. Over 99% of the energy flux from the sun is in the spectral region of 0. 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.
The rapid development of the solar cell industry is quite unique in the modern industry and unmatched by even the semiconductor industry. In addition to the constraints of the basic physics of these devices, there are considerable challenges in materials synthesis. This means that the ntype silicon becomes positively charged, and the ptype silicon is negatively charged, creating an electric field across the cell. Jan 01, 2003 an introduction to the physics of the photovoltaic cell. Jenny nelson has provided a splendidly clear, concise and readable account of the basic semiconductor physics of the solar cell, complete with student exercises and solutions. Solar cell device physics, 2nd edition oreilly media. In the solar cell with heterojunctions, the material with small forbidden band gap generally serves as the base zone, and the material with big forbidden. In the long run, the research and development of solar cells will go through three stages. The new edition of this highly regarded textbook provides a detailed overview of the most important characterization techniques for solar cells. Solar cell device physics offers a balanced, indepth qualitative and quantitative treatment of the physical principles and operating characteristics of solar cell devices.
A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is an electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect, which is a physical and chemical phenomenon. Particular attention is given to pn junction diodes, including efficiency limits, losses. A solar cell is an electronic device which directly converts sunlight into electricity. Topics covered include photovoltaic energy conversion and solar cell materials. 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. A conventional crystalline silicon solar cell as of 2005. Solar radiation is a radiant energy emitted by the sun as a result of its nuclear fusion reactions. The solar cell is the basic building block of solar photovoltaics. The last five years had several breakthroughs in photovoltaics and in the research on solar cells and solar cell materials. Chapter two material properties and device physics basic to photovoltaics 2.
Physics of solar cells, the series on properties of. We also compare operation and e ciencies of devices in section 10. Pages other brand website education website house of physics videos solar cell. 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.
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 basic structure of a dssc involves a transparent widebandgap ntype semiconductor configured optimally in a nanoscale network of columns, touching nanoparticles, or corallike protrusions. The physics of solar cells perovskites, organics, and. Particular attention is given to pn junction diodes, including efficiency limits, losses, and measurements. The dyesensitized solar cell dssc is the newest photovoltaic device configuration. The physics of solar cells world scientific publishing co. Peter wurfel, 97835274126, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. 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 chapter gives an introduction into the basic science of photovoltaic solar cells and the challenge of extracting the maximum amount of electrical energy from the available solar energy. We give the upper limit to the solar cell e ciency. When charged by the sun, this basic unit generates a dc photovoltage of 0. Application of pn junctions within solar cells is discussed.
Nelsons obvious experience in lecturing on solar cells has made this book a most. 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. The university of toledo, department of physics and astronomy ssare, pvic principles and varieties of solar energy phys 4400 and fundamentals of solar cells phys 6980 fundamental properties of solar cells, principles and varieties of solar energy. Week 3 solar cell operation, performance and design rules exam 1. An introduction to the physics of the photovoltaic cell. The book provides an explanation of the operation of photovoltaic devices from a broad perspective that embraces a variety of materials concepts, from nanostructured and highly disordered organic materials, to highly efficient devices such as the lead halide perovskite solar cells. Whether theyre adorning your calculator or orbiting our planet on satellites, they rely on the the photoelectric effect. Denis ar con ljubljana, may 2011 abstract this seminar is a short overview of current photovoltaics. From basic principles to advanced concepts peter wurfel, uli wurfel 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. Spectral characteristics of solar radiation, both external to the earths atmosphere and at the ground, can be seen in figure 1. Materials concepts for solar cells world scientific. The book provides an explanation of the operation of photovoltaic. Solar cell theory, materials, fabrication, design, modules, and systems are discussed. Basic physics of solar cells technology, manufacturing.
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. 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. Perovskites, organics, and photovoltaic fundamentals. In the two fascinating final chapters, she takes her readers beyond the limit of performance of the presentday crystalline silicon cell, describing advanced design. The text is now complete with examples of how the appropriate. There different kind of books either online or offline. There are good books on solar cells by peter wurfel physics of solar cells and. May 09, 2003 the physics of solar cells ebook written by jenny nelson. Solar or photovoltaic cells convert the suns energy into electricity. The impressive supply of solar energy is complemented by its versatility, as illustrated in figure 1.
It contains the basic principles of solar cells beginning from the material level. 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. Fairly thorough book on solar cells including extensive coverage of photovoltaics and semiconductor properties, design and implementation, requires basic. It is suitable for undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers new to the field. Topics covered include photovoltaic energy conversion and solar cell materials and structures, along with homojunction solar cells. Each chapter has exercise problems at the end, but does not have the answers. The book establishes from the beginning a simple but very rich model of a solar cell, in order to develop and understand step by step the photovoltaic operation according to fundamental. Chuangxin yanfa building, wenzhuang road, yixing, 2142 jiangsu, china. Since the voltage is too small for most applications, to produce a useful voltage, the cells are connected in series into. 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. The physics of solar cells by jenny nelson books on.
Nov 15, 2017 the book provides an explanation of the operation of photovoltaic devices from a broad perspective that embraces a variety of materials concepts, from nanostructured and highly disordered organic materials, to highly efficient devices such as the lead halide perovskite solar cells. It should appeal to undergraduate physicists, graduate students and researchers who want an introduction to the subject. The amorphous word with respect to solar cell means that the comprising silicon material of the cell lacks a definite arrangement of atoms in the lattice, noncrystalline structure, or not highly structured. Many of the topics that are discussed in this book are also covered in the massive open online course mooc on solar energy delftx, et. When these two materials are placed side by side inside a solar cell, the ntype silicons spare electrons jump over to fill the gaps in the ptype silicon.
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