Development Of Photovoltaic Technology Research Articles

Understanding the evolution of photovoltaic value chain from a global perspective: Based on the patent analysis

Solar photovoltaic (PV) is one of the optimal alternatives to solve the problem of traditional fuel shortage due to its clean and safe characteristics. However, the boundaries of PV national innovation systems are blurring, and the PV value chain is gradually modularized in the context of innovation and product globalization. The paper explores the spatiotemporal evolution of the PV value chain based on priority patent applications from a global perspective. Our findings highlight the global innovation activities in developing PV technology are uneven in the temporal dimension, and the center of PV technology innovation has experienced a rapid spatial shift in the context of globalization. Developing the PV technological components was initially concentrated in a few countries or regions and then showed a tendency for spatial dispersion. However, the development of PV technology concentrated again after the global financial crisis. Moreover, there are distinct comparative technology advantages and disadvantages of the PV technological components or trajectories across crucial countries or regions. Our findings contribute to a theoretical description of the spatiotemporal evolution of developing PV technology at a global level and help policy-makers or company managers better understand the evolution of the PV industrial value chain from the perspective of the global innovation system.

Influence of incidence angle effects on the performance of bifacial photovoltaic modules considering rear-side reflection

Improving the accuracy of performance evaluation of bifacial photovoltaic (PV) devices is critical to the development of bifacial PV technology. The incidence angle effect (IAE) is one of the characteristics related to the power generation of PV modules. Due to the ability of bifacial PV modules to collect light from double sides, the IAE evaluation should involve the effects of both the front and rear sides of PV simultaneously. This work aims to investigate the IAE of bifacial PV modules considering both front-side beam irradiation and rear-side reflection. The rear-side reflection makes the IAE of bifacial PV modules more complicated than that of monofacial PV modules. The rear-side IAE of bifacial PV modules was defined, and a corresponding mathematical model was derived theoretically in this work. A simulation model based on the view-factor method was developed to investigate the performance of bifacial PV modules under various incidence angles, whose validity was verified by indoor measurements. Furthermore, the results show that rear-side IAE is more suitable to be investigated with the simulation, and it is sensitive to the surrounding and installation conditions. The proposed method is applicable in evaluating and predicting the performance of bifacial PV modules related to IAE under different installation conditions.

Highly efficient quasi-cubic structured perovskite for harvesting energy from artificial indoor LED light source

Mixed cations-based perovskites have attracted a lot of interest because of their ability to harvest light energy and ambient air stability. Herein, we synthesized mixed methylammonium/formamidinium cations (MA+/FA+) perovskite materials and explored their potential for harvesting energy from the indoor LED light source. The incorporation of FA+ in methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) induces a transition in crystal structure from tetragonal to intermediate quasi-cubic, resulting in a more stable and efficient quasi-cubic perovskite structured morphology. The fabricated photovoltaic devices demonstrated an efficiency of 34.07% with mixed cations compared to the reference MAPbI3 of 28.63% under the indoor LED lamp at 1000 lx. The optimized photovoltaic device has displayed considerable enhancement in short circuit current density (JSC) and open-circuit voltage (VOC), including lower hysteresis and reduced recombination losses. Furthermore, a detailed study was conducted to determine the impact of quasi-cubic crystal structures on the grains and grain boundaries that exist in the perovskite film. The surface potential (SP), and charge carrier dynamics measurements nearby grain boundaries revealed a significant decrease in defects or trap states. In brief, this work comprehensively puts forward a prospective candidature of quasi-cubic perovskites for the development of photovoltaic technology to harvest indoor light energy.

Solar Photovoltaic Modules’ Performance Reliability and Degradation Analysis—A Review

The current geometric increase in the global deployment of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, both at utility-scale and residential roof-top systems, is majorly attributed to its affordability, scalability, long-term warranty and, most importantly, the continuous reduction in the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of solar PV in numerous countries. In addition, PV deployment is expected to continue this growth trend as energy portfolio globally shifts towards cleaner energy technologies. However, irrespective of the PV module type/material and component technology, the modules are exposed to a wide range of environmental conditions during outdoor deployment. Oftentimes, these environmental conditions are extreme for the modules and subject them to harsh chemical, photo-chemical and thermo-mechanical stress. Asides from manufacturing defects, these conditions contribute immensely to PV module’s aging rate, defects and degradation. Therefore, in recent times, there has been various investigations into PV reliability and degradation mechanisms. These studies do not only provide insight on how PV module’s performance degrades over time, but more importantly, they serve as meaningful input information for future developments in PV technologies, as well as performance prediction for better financial modelling. In view of this, prompt and efficient detection and classification of degradation modes and mechanisms due to manufacturing imperfections and field conditions are of great importance towards minimizing potential failure and associated risks. In the literature, several methods, ranging from visual inspection, electrical parameter measurements (EPM), imaging methods, and most recently data-driven techniques have been proposed and utilized to measure or characterize PV module degradation signatures and mechanisms/pathways. In this paper, we present a critical review of recent studies whereby solar PV systems performance reliability and degradation were analyzed. The aim is to make cogent contributions to the state-of-the-art, identify various critical issues and propose thoughtful ideas for future studies particularly in the area of data-driven analytics. In contrast with statistical and visual inspection approaches that tend to be time consuming and require huge human expertise, data-driven analytic methods including machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) models have impressive computational capacities to process voluminous data, with vast features, with reduced computation time. Thus, they can be deployed for assessing module performance in laboratories, manufacturing, and field deployments. With the huge size of PV modules’ installations especially in utility scale systems, coupled with the voluminous datasets generated in terms of EPM and imaging data features, ML and DL can learn irregular patterns and make conclusions in the prediction, diagnosis and classification of PV degradation signatures, with reduced computation time. Analysis and comparison of different models proposed for solar PV degradation are critically reviewed, in terms of the methodologies, characterization techniques, datasets, feature extraction mechanisms, accelerated testing procedures and classification procedures. Finally, we briefly highlight research gaps and summarize some recommendations for the future studies.

Parametrical analysis of a novel solar cascade photovoltaic system via full-spectrum splitting and residual-spectrum reshaping

In this study, a novel cascade photovoltaic power generation system via full-spectrum splitting and residual-spectrum reshaping is proposed to realize the cascade conversion of solar energy. A cavity-structured absorber and outer-wall emitter combined device is designed for reshaping the residual infrared spectrum, and the corresponding physical model is also established. The parametric analysis of the whole system is conducted to investigate the effect of cavity structure, second-stage cell, spectrum-split frequency, selective emitter and concentration ratio on the system performance. The results indicate that the system efficiency can reach 34.32%, which is higher than that of solar photovoltaic (27.6%) by 6.72 percentage points. It is founded that the solar thermophotovoltaic conversion system equipped with the cavity-structured absorber, whose absorption efficiency can reach more than 99.06%, can efficiently absorb and utilize the infrared residual spectrum. The cavity structure can avoid the manufacture of complex micro/nano structured materials and the high design cost of selective absorber. When Si is selected as second-stage photovoltaic cell and the selective emitter is used, the system efficiency is higher than that using GaSb cell by about 2–3 percent points. Besides, the lower cost of Si cell also provides certain application advantages. The result of this study paves a theoretical guiding for the development and application of solar photovoltaic technology.

Дизайн и анализ просветляющего покрытия на поверхности кристаллического кремния солнечного элемента

With the positive development of photovoltaic technology, improving efficiency and reducing cost has become a global problem facing the solar industry. The development of solar cell anti-reflection film can significantly reduce the reflection of sunlight on the surface of the battery, increase the flux of light entering the battery, and create more photo-generated carriers, which is the most economical and effective way to improve the efficiency of the battery. More photo-generated carriers are produced, which is the most economical and effective way to improve the efficiency of batteries. Therefore, it’s of great value to explore a performance-matched antireflective film material for solar cells and its preparation process. The plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition of silicon nitride antireflective coatings has been widely used in photovoltaic industry. The aim is to form an antireflection film on the surface of crystalline silicon solar cells and achieve good passivation effect. The thickness and refractive index of the antireflective film have an important influence on the performance of the battery. It is of great significance to explore the optimum technological conditions for preparing the optimum thin films. Considering the optical properties, stability, preparation process and production cost of antireflective film materials, the influence of antireflective film on the output characteristics of solar cells was studied by using PC1D simulation software.

Application of KOH-ethanol Solution in Separation of Waste Photovoltaic Panels

With the continuous development of photovoltaic panel technology in recent years, the frequency of replacement has accelerated, which has led to the continuous increase of waste photovoltaic panels. Developing the separation technology of waste photovoltaic panels can effectively solve the problems of resource shortage and environmental pollution. According to the sticking mechanism of EVA film, this paper proposes a KOH-ethanol solution to degrade EVA film and recover silicon from waste photovoltaic panels. In this paper, the key factors affecting the separation of photovoltaic panels are studied through experiments indicating that compared with NaOH-ethanol solution, KOH-ethanol solution has better separation efficiency. Sample after crushing treatment has higher separation efficiency, the best temperature for sample separation is 200 degrees Celsius, and the best sample area is 1×1 square centimeter, the optimal concentration of the solution is 0.20 mol/L, and the optimal reaction time is 3.0 hours.

Exploring Challenges and Prospects of Solar Energy Entrepreneurship of Accra Metropolis in Ghana

The demand for power in Ghana is increasing at a pace of 10% each year. To shift away from traditional energy-intensive economic development and its negative environmental impact, the government has begun to heavily promote the development of solar photovoltaic technology. This study explored the challenges and potential of solar energy entrepreneurship as well as the capacity of solar energy enterprises in the production and supply of solar energy, and the methodologies for implementing solar energy businesses in Ghana's Accra Metropolis. The research took a qualitative approach and used an exploratory design. The data were analysed thematically with the aid of NVivo version 11.0. In comparison to predicted market demands, solar energy firms did not have the resources to produce and supply solar energy. In addition, to promote their operations in Ghana, solar energy companies have used techniques such as discounts, installment payments, and price reductions for goods and services. Furthermore, high-interest rates, inadequate incentives, insufficient access to finance, and a lack of technical know-how for the operation and maintenance of solar energy technology were all obstacles to investment in solar energy generation. Notwithstanding the difficulties associated with its operations, the prospects for solar energy production in Ghana remain bright. The study recommended that the Ministry of Energy, in collaboration with renewable energy technology companies, educate the public about the benefits of solar energy technologies; the Ministry of Energy, in partnership with the government, ensure that the promise made in the energy policy of a 50% tax reduction on all imports of electrical goods is achieved. Moreover, financial institutions should make it easier for energy-producing firms to obtain credit.

THE SYNTHESIS OF METHYLAMMONIUM LEAD IODIDE ON MESOPORE TiO2 THIN FILM APPLYING OSTWALD RIPENING PROCESS UNDER AMBIENT CONDITION

Organometallic halide-based perovskite solar cells have played a significant role in the development of photovoltaic technology. The synthesis of the perovskite usually needs specific atmospheres, especially controlled humidity. Here, we demonstrate the synthesis of compact methylammonium lead iodide perovskite (MAPbI3) on TiO2 under ambient conditions through one and two-step spin-coating deposition methods, which both resulted in an unconverted PbI2 on the films. The two-step method provided a higher amount of PbI2 regarding the reaction of methyl ammonium iodide (MAI) with an outer layer of the first bonded PbI2 hindered the inner layer to interact with MAI. The Ostwald ripening (OR) process that was applied to the thin film resulted through one-step deposition synthesis has successfully converted the unformed PbI2 to MAPbI3 with a more uniform, lower void, and higher crystal size as confirmed by XRD and SEM analysis results. The application of MAPbI3 prepared using OR treatment in the solar cell resulted in higher efficiency (7.64%) than the one synthesized without OR (4.91%).

Review of Photovoltaic Cell Technology Development

China has pledged to peak its carbon footprint by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2060. According to the future energy demand and the requirement to achieve “carbon neutrality”, the new energy represented by photovoltaic power generation will become the main force to achieve “carbon neutrality”. It is great strategic significant to increase the proportion of non-carbon energy gradually and build a new energy supply system with multiple complementary energy. According to the current situation of domestic energy development in recent years and the development trend of new energy in China, the author reviewed the development of photovoltaic cells technology. As the head industry of photovoltaic industry, photovoltaic cells were applied in multy prospects, such as agriculture and public transportation. Two feasible solutions toward the disadvantage of photovoltaic cell were discussed, including the appropriate geographical location of photovoltaic cells and the superhydrophobic coating on the surface of the cell.

Development of Roadmap for Photovoltaic Solar Technologies and Market in Poland

Poland is dynamically changing its energy mix. As a result of this process, solar energy is increasing its share in energy production. The development of the solar energy market is determined by numerous factors. This paper aims to develop a roadmap for further development of the photovoltaic (PV) energy market in Poland. The scope of the research covers five areas of PV technology and market development in Poland: (i) technology; (ii) power grids; (iii) law; (iv) economic conditions; and (v) social conditions. With the use of a Technology Roadmapping Methodology (TRM), for each of the determined areas, several factors were analyzed, and their development paths were described. In addition, the article focuses on technological challenges (regarding PV cells, modules, components, power conversion and monitoring and management system, optimizers, batteries, and other energy storage systems), grid efficiency, recycling, production costs, subsidies, public awareness and education, and the energy exclusion problem. The main result of the research is the roadmap of the photovoltaic solar energy technology and market development in Poland. Further development of the PV market and technology requires parallel progress in all the identified areas. This study offers implications for policymakers, investors, managers, and technology and infrastructure developers regarding their involvement in photovoltaic market.

Recovery of Valuable Materials and Methods for Their Management When Recycling Thin-Film CdTe Photovoltaic Modules.

Due to the development of new photovoltaic technologies, there is a need to research new recycling methods for these new materials. The recovery of metals from photovoltaic (PV) modules would reduce the consumption of raw materials. Therefore, the development of recycling technologies for used and damaged modules of newer generations is important for environmental reasons. The aim of the research is to shed light on the nature of the chemical reactions that occur in recycling technology for second-generation photovoltaic modules. This work is focused mainly on cells made of Cadmium Telluride (CdTe). It was proven that prior thermal delamination was necessary. Moreover, an improvement in understanding of the recovery process depending on used leaching solution was achieved.

Review of next generation photovoltaic solar cell technology and comparative materialistic development

With the increased concern regarding the impact of conventional energy on global warming and climate change, solar photovoltaic (PV) cell technology has proliferated as a sustainable energy source. Technological development in Recent Research can be categorized according to various generations of solar cells. Generation and the current market influence one another covered in the first two-generation (GEN) solar cell, among other things. Medium and low-cost technologies lead to moderate market yields for the first generation (mono or polycrystalline silicon cells). GEN II (thin-film technologies) is built around lower-cost manufacturing processes that are nonetheless more efficient. The 3GEN exhibits novel materials and many novel designs, which all make use of the most efficient but costly cells. This concept, known as the 4GEN, comprises hybrid materials, including the flexible, inexpensive polymer films and the more stable, novel inorganic nanostructures such as nanomaterial and metal oxides, all of which are currently being looked into. To accomplish the main objective of this review, it's necessary to explore the various aspects of solar cell technology regarding materials, efficiency, and technological fabrication costs. The study includes fabrication, stability, and limitations as well as device architectures. Special attention has been paid to the “4th generation”, where the different roles of organic and hybrid components are discussed. Finally, the author summarizes his findings and possible future scenarios.

Robust Unencapsulated Perovskite Solar Cells Protected by a Fluorinated Fullerene Electron Transporting Layer

The emergent perovskite photovoltaics technology faces challenges like the long-term durability combining moisture, thermal, and photo stresses that prevents them from competing with established technologies. Here, we introduce a series of new fluorinated fullerenes as an electron-transporting layer (ETL) for robust perovskite photovoltaics that deliver a high power conversion efficiency of 21.27% with substantially improved durability against environmental stressing. The hydrophobic nature of the new fullerene protects the unencapsulated perovskite cell with stability over 1400 h in 85% relative humidity. Notably, the unencapsulated device maintained 80% of their original performance (T80) after being immersed in water for over 10 min. Detailed characterizations suggest that the fluorinated fullerene can immobilize the cations in perovskites and passivate the surface traps. Therefore, the T80 lifetime of the devices under constant illumination reached 1920 h. On the basis of the accelerated test, we estimate a lifetime approaching 10 years with encapsulation. The successful demonstration of the new ETL can stimulate further research and momentum for future photovoltaic technology development.

Cover: Journal of the Chinese Chemical Society 7/2021

In this figure, recent advances of carbazole‐based NFAs are summarized with their advantages and applications in comparison with other ladder‐type NFAs. The structure‐to‐performance relationship is systematically discussed, which is believed to facilitate the development of photovoltaic technology. More details about this figure will be discussed by Prof. Chain‐Shu Hsu and his coworkers on page 1186–1196 in this issue.image

Off-Grid Hybrid Electrical Generation Systems in Remote Communities: Trends and Characteristics in Sustainability Solutions

The objective of this review is to present the characteristics and trends of hybrid renewable energy systems for remote off-grid communities. Traditionally, remote off-grid communities have used diesel oil-based systems to generate electricity. Increased technological options and lower costs have resulted in the adoption of hybrid renewable energy-based systems. The evaluated 168 studies from the period 2002–2019 considered energy developments in Asia, northern Europe, Africa and South America, with the great majority in the northern hemisphere (n = 152, 90.5%). Many of the studied systems were located in tropical (44.1%) and subtropical areas (31.0%). Our review shows that most of the studied approaches combined photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy and that diesel generators are the preferred backup system (61.3%), while batteries are the preferred method of energy storage (80.4%). Communities far from coasts have more options for renewable energy sources, such as biogas. Although half the studies were related to communities with access to marine-based renewable energy resources, their use was only referred to in fifteen studies. In terms of trends, the studies show a mature development of PV and wind-power technology for off-grid hybrid systems independent of the latitude, which is preferred as they are proven and accessible methods. The preferred storage method is batteries, and diesel is the preferred backup system given the low efficiency of PV and the intermittent character of wind power.

Recent advances of carbazole‐based nonfullerene acceptors: Molecular design, optoelectronic properties, and photovoltaic performance in organic solar cells

AbstractIn this review, the properties, performance, advantages, and applications of carbazole‐based nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs) are summarized and categorized by fused‐ring number. The recent advances of carbazole‐based NFAs are depicted with their decent photovoltaic performance, enabled by the versatality of elegant molecular design. These literature precedents sufficiently validate that carbazole can be exploited as a promising building block embedded in functional, high‐performance NFAs. The structure‐to‐performance relation of carbazole‐based NFAs is systematically studied, which is believed to facilitate the development of photovoltaic technology.

Analysis, Design, and Implementation of a Differential Power Processing DMPPT With Multiple Buck–Boost Choppers for Photovoltaic Module

Submodule mismatch has become the major cause of losses in the photovoltaic (PV) power generation system, which has been an important factor restricting the development of PV technology. Differential power processing (DPP) architecture is increasingly employed in PV distributed MPPT (DMPPT) due to its low processed power. In order to improve the PV utilization efficiency, minimize the power loss and reduce the system cost, a novel scheme based on DPP is introduced in this article. The proposed DPP converter is composed of multiple buck-boost choppers, and a multidimensional perturb and observe (MPO) algorithm is proposed to achieve true DMPPT through correcting the voltage of each submodule to its voltage at the maximum power point by using a single current sensor. A prototype with multiple buck-boost choppers for 36 V/200 W PV module is designed and built to verify the operating principle and evaluate the performance of the proposed DPP converter and DMPPT strategy, and the experimental results show that the prototype is low-cost and effectively improves system efficiency.

Integrated control technology of photovoltaic reactive power with source network coordination based on Multi-Agent Technology

With the rapid development of photovoltaic power generation technology, its participation in reactive power control of distribution network technology has been widely concerned. However, photovoltaic output has great volatility and randomness, which also brings challenges to the security and stability of distribution network reactive power regulation. Firstly, considering the topology of photovoltaic power generation unit and the demand response of the grid point, the reactive power model of distribution network including photovoltaic power generation is established based on source grid coordinated regulation. Then, on the basis of the above research, a source-grid cooperative photovoltaic reactive power double-layer regulation model was established. These include the upper-level control model responding to grid reactive power control demand, and the lower-level control model uses particle swarm optimization algorithms to allocate and control the upper-level demand for each photovoltaic power generation unit. Finally, based on IEEE33 distribution network model, it is verified that the proposed method can effectively solve the impact of photovoltaic output fluctuation on reactive power regulation and control of distribution network.

Optimal Design Model for a Residential PV Storage System an Application to the Spanish Case

Self-consumption of photovoltaic energy is being promoted as an effective way for energy consumption in residential households. The European Directive 944/2019 promotes the use of green energy and battery energy storage systems (BESS) for self-consumption and, in Spain, the 244/2019 Royal Decree of the Spanish electrical regulatory framework allows the self-consumption of energy with a photovoltaic (PV) facility for residential use, as well as the injection of the surplus energy into the grid for which compensation will be received. At the same time, new developments in PV and BESS technologies reduce the costs of facilities, a fact that can increase the profitability of self-consumption through PV energy. This study evaluates the profitability of a household PV facility with BESS using a model based on real market prices, hourly data from user smart meters, and their own location; especially, the model gives the best configuration of PV panels power and BESS capacity. The financial indicators taken as reference for the results and conclusions are the Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and Investment Return (IR). Our method examines also the effect of the BESS and PV panel costs on the profitability of the facility. Unlike other studies, our model is based on actual (not simulated) demand and price data, and it can be easily extended to other locations and market prices.