Chapter 8 - Novel Nanomaterials for Solar Cell Devices

Abstract

Energy experts predict that the world will consume energy at a rate of 30TW by 2050 to maintain economic growth. This large need emphasizes the importance of using renewable energy resources. Among the different renewable energy resources, solar energy is significant because of its universal availability and free high-energy power. Researchers have developed third-generation solar cells in response to the high manufacturing and installation costs of first-generation solar cells and the poor performance of second-generation solar cells. The current focus is on devices that are economical and highly efficient. This new generation of solar cells is made from organic materials (polymers), nanotubes, silicon wires, organic dyes, conductive plastics, etc., and there is plenty of room to enhance performance and reduce costs. Recent studies demonstrate the progressive increase in solar cell research on polymer and plastic devices using hybrid approaches by introducing nanomaterials into polymer-based and thin-film photovoltaic devices. The success and employment of these novel nanotechnology concepts could provide cheap, lightweight, and flexible solar cells that are highly efficient. In this study, the use of nanomaterials in different parts of nanostructured solar cells has been investigated to understand the effects of their size, morphology, etc.