Photovoltaics is the direct conversion of solar energy into electricity. It results from the fundamental mechanism of absorption of photons in matter, with the excitation of electrons from their equilibrium lower energy state to a nonequilibrium excited state of higher energy. That means that electrons are being transferred to more negative electrical potential. Then, they usually return to equilibrium by giving back the initial photon energy in form of thermal energy (with the interactions with phonons), light with the emission of new photons via luminescence processes or chemical species via electrochemical oxydo reduction processes in the case of photosynthesis . The uniqueness and beauty of photovoltaics is to “plug” on the initial step when electrons are just excited to a lower potential, and to have them directly transferred in an external circuit where the energy can be used directly in the electrical form. The device to do...
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Abbreviations
- III-V Solar cells:
-
Solar cells based on compound combining elements from the Ga and As columns (III and V).
- Cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells:
-
Solar cells based on this compound, used in the form of thin films.
- Chalcopyrite solar cells:
-
Solar cells based on the compound Cu(In,Ga)Se2, also noted CIGS, in the form of thin films.
- Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC):
-
Solar cells based on mesoscopic tintanium oxide thin film sensitized with dye photoactive molecules and impregnated by an electrolyte.
- Hot carrier solar cell:
-
New high efficiency concept allowing to convert high energy photons in electrical charges in the external circuit without thermal losses.
- Life cycle analysis (LCA):
-
To quantify all the steps from mining, utilization to recycling in terms of energy consumption, material utilization, environmental and health impacts.
- Multijunction solar cell:
-
High efficiency solar cell based on the association of several elementary solar cells made of sing junctions.
- Organic solar cells:
-
Solar cells based on organic components like carbon fullerenes and polymers, blended in the form of thin films.
- Pay back time:
-
Time needed by a solar cell under operation to reimburse the total energy used for its fabrication.
- Photovoltaics:
-
Conversion of photon energy to electricity.
- Siicon solar cells:
-
Solar cells based on silicon element, either in crystalline or amorphous forms.
- Solar cells:
-
Device allowing to absorb photon energy and convert it to electricity in an external circuit.
- Up, down conversion:
-
New high efficiency concept using optical processes allowing to convert low (resp. high) energy photons to medium visible energy photons for maxium conversion efficiency.
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© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York
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Lincot, D. (2013). Photovoltaic Energy , Introduction. In: Richter, C., Lincot, D., Gueymard, C.A. (eds) Solar Energy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5806-7_930
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5806-7_930
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