Advancements in Photovoltaic Cell and System Technologies

Daniel T Cotfas,Petru A Cotfas,Dezso Sera,Alireza Rezaniakolaei,Eleni Kaplani

doi:10.1155/2019/8129137

Abstract

Renewable energy undergoes a continuous development and improvement being driven by the growth in energy demand, the need to reduce pollution, and the increase in investment and policies at national and international levels. The photovoltaic solar energy lately became an important pillar for renewable energy to reach global and European targets in the share of renewable electricity. The first target for the energy generated by photovoltaic systems is 10% from the total European electricity production until 2020 [1], and until 2050, 60% from electricity generation has to be from photovoltaic solar energy and wind [2]...

Highlights

There is ongoing interdisciplinary research on the design of advanced photovoltaic technologies and photovoltaic systems contributing to the increase in cell and module efficiency, PV system reliability and durability, maximization of solar energy harvested, and overall system yield
Advanced PV-based configurations and hybrid systems, including PV, Solar Thermoelectric Generators (STEG), PV/T, and concentrated or conventional PV systems, integrated with STEG, STC, and energy storage can lead to an increase in the electrical and thermal energy generated and in system lifetime
This special issue includes articles within the scope of advancements in photovoltaic cell and system technologies. These range from articles addressing the increase in photovoltaic cell efficiency through advancements in their structure or composition and enhancements in photovoltaic module performance targeting the decrease in photovoltaic cell temperature by passive cooling using recyclable materials or phase change materials

Summary

Introduction

There is ongoing interdisciplinary research on the design of advanced photovoltaic technologies and photovoltaic systems contributing to the increase in cell and module efficiency, PV system reliability and durability, maximization of solar energy harvested, and overall system yield. The global cumulative installed PV capacity reached over 500 GW in the end of 2018 following an exponential growth [3, 4].

Results

Conclusion