Efficiency Of Solar Modules Research Articles

Improved efficiency silicon solar cell module

This paper describes a solar cell module efficiency of 22.3% independently measured at Sandia National Laboratories. This is the highest ever confirmed efficiency for a photovoltaic module of this size achieved by cells made on any material. This 787-cm/sup 2/ module used 40 large-area double-layer antireflection coated PERL (passivated emitter, rear locally-diffused) silicon cells of average efficiency of 23.1%. The double-layer coating, together with an improved cell structure and a shingled encapsulation technique, considerably contributed to this efficiency improvement. Also reported is an independently confirmed efficiency of 23.7% for a 21.60-cm/sup 2/ cell of the type used in the module, the highest efficiency ever reported for a silicon cell of this size.

97/00446 Commercializing fuel cells: Managing risks

A simple method based on the balance-of-system (BOS) costs is proposed for computing the allowable solar cell module cost and efficiency for typical applications of photovoltaic electric power systems: microirrigation and a rural electric supply. It is shown that in India the allowable module cost of cell modules with a conversion efficiency of about 5% is about U.S. $2 W−1p (1980) for microirrigation and about U.S. $0.8 W−1p for a rural electricity centre. It is further observed that relatively low BOS costs in India and similar places tend to make the allowable module cost become invariant with the efficiency, thus permitting solar cell modules of lower efficiency (5%) to become commercially viable for large-scale applications.

Solar cell efficiency tables

AbstractOne regular feature planned for Progress in Photovoltaics is the publishing of solar cell and module efficiency tables summarizing the highest independently confirmed results for different technologies. These tables are expected to be of interest not only to researchers directly involved in these areas but also to those less directly involved but interested in being kept informed of the latest results with each of the different technologies or interested in an authoritative summary of these results. Other desirable outcomes may be the encouragement of research results and the further simulation of intercomparison of measurements between disignated cell test centres. Guidelines for inclusion of results into these tables are outlined and the first set of tables of results conforming to these guidelines are published.

The ‘Alpsolar’ Project—Field testing and optimization of European photovoltaic power plant equipment at high‐elevation and nordic sites

AbstractThe ‘Alpsolar’ Project, which forms part of the international European ‘Eureka’ programme, is a cooperative venture between three electrical power utilities based in Austria, Finland and Germany. Its main task is the field testing and optimization of remote‐controlled, grid‐connected, photovoltaic (PV) power plants at high‐elevation and nordic sites, with the aim of bringing such plants to commercial viability. This paper describes the background, overall deisgn and operation of the three plants, and reports initial operating experience over 1‐3‐year periods in the areas of solar module, inverter and plant efficiencies; plant availability and electricity yield; monitoring and control; maintenance and repair; and economics.

Effects of cell width on the photovoltaic properties of sintered Cd 1− xZn xS/CdTe solar cells

Photovoltaic properties of sintered all-polycrystalline CdS/CdTe and Cd 0.94Zn 0.06S/CdTe solar cells have been investigated by varying cell width to maximize solar cell module efficiency. Short-circuit current density, fill factor and efficiency of the solar cells degrade with increasing cell width. Series resistance of the solar cells increases with the cell width resulting in the degradation of solar cell efficiency. Sintered Cd 1− x Zn x S/CdTe solar cells with a cell width of 4 mm showed the maximum module efficiency. Sintered CdS/CdTe and Cd 0.94Zn 0.06S/CdTe solar cells with a cell width of 4 mm showed efficiency of 10.0% and 11.0% under solar illumination with an intensity of 85 mW cm −2. The estimates values of the module efficiency were 6.7% and 7.3%, respectively. The reduction in efficiency for cell width greater than 4 mm is attributed to the resistance of the Cd 1− x Zn x S layer.

Impact of balance-of-system costs on photovoltaic electric power systems

A simple method based on the balance-of-system (BOS) costs is proposed for computing the allowable solar cell module cost and efficiency for typical applications of photovoltaic electric power systems: microirrigation and a rural electric supply. It is shown that in India the allowable module cost of cell modules with a conversion efficiency of about 5% is about U.S. $2 W −1 p (1980) for microirrigation and about U.S. $0.8 W −1 p for a rural electricity centre. It is further observed that relatively low BOS costs in India and similar places tend to make the allowable module cost become invariant with the efficiency, thus permitting solar cell modules of lower efficiency (5%) to become commercially viable for large-scale applications.