Abstract
In this paper, laterally arranged multiple bandgap (LAMB) solar cells based on CdxPb1-xS alloy nanowires of varying composition on a single substrate are designed to be used together with a dispersive concentrator. Simulation results for a design with six subcells in series connection are presented. The design is based on a unique materials capability achieved in our recent research. An efficiency of 34.9% was obtained for operation without solar concentration, which increased to 40.5%, 41.7%, and 42.7% for concentration ratios of 25, 100, and 240 respectively. The device was also simulated with decreased carrier mobilities to model the possible reduction in absorber conductivity, depending on the nanowire geometry and configuration. For a concentration ratio of unity, decreasing the mobilities to 25% of their original values caused less than a 2.5% absolute drop in efficiency. The LAMB design offers the advantages of an integrated cell platform and the potential for low-cost, high efficiency photovoltaic systems.
Highlights
High system cost remains the most significant barrier to wide scale adoption of photovoltaic energy
We have proposed an integrated platform for the laterally arranged multiple bandgap solar cells to be integrated with low-cost, compact dispersive concentration optics for dispersive concentration photovoltaics (DCPV) applications
A design study of laterally arranged multiple bandgap (LAMB) solar cells using composition graded alloy nanowires has been conducted. This design was simulated using Silvaco ATLAS device simulation software [12], and the results demonstrate that spatially composition graded CdxPb1-xS nanowires have the potential to deliver efficiencies competitive with the other high efficiency solar cells on the market today
Summary
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