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Photovoltaics (PV) is the conversion of light into electricity using semiconducting materials that exhibit the photovoltaic effect, a phenomenon studied in physics, photochemistry, and electrochemistry. The photovoltaic effect is commercially used for electricity generation and as photosensors.
In the 19th century, it was observed that the sunlight striking certain materials generates detectable electric current – the photoelectric effect. This discovery laid the foundation for solar cells. Solar cells have gone on to be used in many applications. They have historically been used in situations where electrical power from the grid was unavailable.
A solar cell or photovoltaic cell is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by means of the photovoltaic effect. It is a form of photoelectric cell, a device whose electrical characteristics vary when it is exposed to light. Individual solar cell devices are often the electrical building blocks of photovoltaic modules, known colloquially as "solar panels". Almost all commercial PV cells consist of crystalline silicon, with a market share of 95%. Cadmium telluride thin-film solar cells account for the remainder. The common single-junction silicon solar cell can produce a maximum open-circuit voltage of approximately 0.5 to 0.6 volts.
A solar panel is a device that converts sunlight into electricity by using photovoltaic (PV) cells. PV cells are made of materials that produce excited electrons when exposed to light. The electrons flow through a circuit and produce direct current (DC) electricity, which can be used to power various devices or be stored in batteries. Solar panels are also known as solar cell panels, solar electric panels, or PV modules.
Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are photovoltaic materials that are used to replace conventional building materials in parts of the building envelope such as the roof, skylights, or façades. They are increasingly being incorporated into the construction of new buildings as a principal or ancillary source of electrical power, although existing buildings may be retrofitted with similar technology. The advantage of integrated photovoltaics over more common non-integrated systems is that the initial cost can be offset by reducing the amount spent on building materials and labor that would normally be used to construct the part of the building that the BIPV modules replace. In addition, BIPV allows for more widespread solar adoption when the building's aesthetics matter and traditional rack-mounted solar panels would disrupt the intended look of the building.
BP Solar was a manufacturer and installer of photovoltaic solar cells headquartered in Madrid, Spain, with production facilities in Frederick, MD, India and the People's Republic of China. It was a subsidiary of BP.
Solar power, also known as solar electricity, is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Solar panels use the photovoltaic effect to convert light into an electric current. Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and solar tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight to a hot spot, often to drive a steam turbine.
A photovoltaic system, also called a PV system or solar power system, is an electric power system designed to supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaics. It consists of an arrangement of several components, including solar panels to absorb and convert sunlight into electricity, a solar inverter to convert the output from direct to alternating current, as well as mounting, cabling, and other electrical accessories to set up a working system. Many utility-scale PV systems use tracking systems that follow the sun's daily path across the sky to generate more electricity than fixed-mounted systems.
GreatCell Solar Limited, previously known as Dyesol, was a solar energy company developing perovskite solar cell 3rd generation thin-film solar cell technologies and materials. The company was previously focused on developing dye-sensitized solar cell technology before shifting focus to perovskite solar cells, and had been since assisting manufacturing partners with the production of perovskite photovoltaic modules. The company was based in Queanbeyan, Australia and opened its manufacturing and research facilities in October 2008. It had expanded to several locations around the world, including the UK and Switzerland, and established joint ventures in South Korea and Singapore.
Cadmium telluride (CdTe) photovoltaics is a photovoltaic (PV) technology based on the use of cadmium telluride in a thin semiconductor layer designed to absorb and convert sunlight into electricity. Cadmium telluride PV is the only thin film technology with lower costs than conventional solar cells made of crystalline silicon in multi-kilowatt systems.
Thin-film solar cells are made by depositing one or more thin layers of photovoltaic material onto a substrate, such as glass, plastic or metal. Thin-film solar cells are typically a few nanometers (nm) to a few microns (μm) thick–much thinner than the wafers used in conventional crystalline silicon (c-Si) based solar cells, which can be up to 200 μm thick. Thin-film solar cells are commercially used in several technologies, including cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), and amorphous thin-film silicon.
A perovskite solar cell (PSC) is a type of solar cell that includes a perovskite-structured compound, most commonly a hybrid organic–inorganic lead or tin halide-based material as the light-harvesting active layer. Perovskite materials, such as methylammonium lead halides and all-inorganic cesium lead halide, are cheap to produce and simple to manufacture.
Henry James Snaith is a professor in physics in the Clarendon Laboratory at the University of Oxford. Research from his group has led to the creation of a new research field, based on halide perovskites for use as solar absorbers. Many individuals who were PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in Snaith's group have now established research groups, independent research portfolios and commercial enterprises. He co-founded Oxford Photovoltaics in 2010 to commercialise perovskite based tandem solar cells.
Laura Maria Herz is a professor of physics at the University of Oxford. She works on femtosecond spectroscopy for the analysis of semiconductor materials.
Meyer Burger Technology AG is an industrial manufacturer of solar cells and solar modules, headquartered in Gwatt, a district of Thun, Switzerland. The company's registered shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.
There are many practical applications for solar panels or photovoltaics. From the fields of the agricultural industry as a power source for irrigation to its usage in remote health care facilities to refrigerate medical supplies. Other applications include power generation at various scales and attempts to integrate them into homes and public infrastructure. PV modules are used in photovoltaic systems and include a large variety of electrical devices.
Tsutomu Miyasaka, is a Japanese engineer in electrochemistry best known as the inventor of the perovskite solar cell.
Nam-Gyu Park is Distinguished Professor and Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU)-Fellow at School of Chemical Engineering, SKKU. His research focuses on high efficiency mesoscopic nanostructured solar cells.
Samuel David Stranks is a Professor of Optoelectronics in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge.
References
- 1 2 "Prof Henry Snaith, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer". oxfordpv.com. Archived from the original on 2015-05-22.
- 1 2 "Journey to perovskite solar cell leader - Oxford PV". www.oxfordpv.com.
- ↑ "Oxford Photovoltaics Ltd - Perovskite Thin-Film Photovoltaics". pertpv.web.ox.ac.uk.
- ↑ "Solar - Oxford Energy". energy.ox.ac.uk.
- ↑ Anon (2019). "Goldwind backs Oxford PV as part of £31m funding round". businessgreen.com.
- ↑ "Semiconductors Company Overview of Oxford Photovoltaics Limited". bloomberg.com. Bloomberg L.P.
- ↑ Anon (2018). "Case study: Oxford Photovoltaics: a shining light in solar cell innovation". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2018-12-07.
- ↑ "EPSRC Prosperity Partnerships – University of Oxford and Oxford PV". youtube.com. YouTube.
- ↑ "Leaders in perovskite solar technology". oxfordpv.com.
- ↑ Anon (2019). "Oxford Photovoltaics Limited - Officers". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. London: Companies House. Archived from the original on 2019-04-09.
- ↑ Kumagai, Jean (2009). "Power From Commercial Perovskite Solar Cells Is Coming Soon: Oxford PV's tandem silicon-perovskite solar modules aim to beat the best panels on the market". ieee.org. IEEE Spectrum.
- ↑ "Meyer Burger Major Shareholder of Oxford PV | TaiyangNews" . Retrieved 2020-06-21.
- ↑ Lee, M. M.; Teuscher, J.; Miyasaka, T.; Murakami, T. N.; Snaith, H. J. (2012). "Efficient Hybrid Solar Cells Based on Meso-Superstructured Organometal Halide Perovskites". Science. 338 (6107): 643–647. Bibcode:2012Sci...338..643L. doi: 10.1126/science.1228604 . ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 23042296.
- ↑ Anon (2017). "TR: Wegbereiter". heise.de (in German). Heise Online. Archived from the original on 2019-04-09.
- ↑ "Top most innovative company - Oxford PV". oxfordpv.com.
- ↑ "Oxford Photovoltaics". mtiventures.com. MTI ventures.
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