Transcript SOLAR CELLS - Pennsylvania State University
SOLAR CELLS
ESW Sustainable Technology of the Month!
Presented by: Brad Gething
DISCLAIMER
I am not an expert in photovoltaics This presentation is not a comprehensive review of the state of the art.
Not all of the information presented originates from peer reviewed sources.
BACKGROUND
1839 -
Photovoltaic effect was discovered by the French physicist Alexandre Edmond Becquerel.
1918 -
Polish scientist Jan Czochralski discovered a method for monocrystalline silicon production. The first silicon monocrystalline solar cell was constructed in
1941
.
1955 -
W. Western Electric put for sale commercial licenses for solar cells production (mainly for space exploration). Hoffman Electronics Semiconductor Division introduced a commercial photovoltaic product with 2 % efficiency for $25 per cell with 14 mW peak power. Cost - $1,785 per
1973 –
U. Delaware produced a photovoltaic-thermal hybrid system Solar one, one of the first photovoltaic systems for domestic application. Cost $30 per W
1984 -
1 MW photovoltaic power plant began to operate in Sacramento, California. ARCO Solar introduced the first amorphous modules.
1992 -
A silicon solar cell with 20 % efficiency was patented.
2002 -
MW Cumulative worldwide installed PV capacity expected to reach 2000
World Energy Demand GW-hr
2003
1.233
E 8
2030 (est.)
2.116
E 8 US Energy Demand GW-hr
2003
2.937
E 7
2030 (est.)
3.844
E 7
CONTEXT
AVERAGE SOLAR IRRADIANCE 1991-1993 W/m 2
Location, Desert
Africa, Sahara
CONTEXT
Desert Size km 2 Irradiation W/m 2 Area Required km 2
9,064,960 260 144,231 265 141,509 Australia, Great Sandy China, Takla Makan Middle-East, Arabian South America, Atacama U.S.A., Great Basin 388,500 271,950 2,589,910 139,860 492,100 210 270 275 220 178,571 138,889 136,364 170,455
Energy Output GW-hr
2.055
E 7
HOW THEY WORK
Si-P Si-B 1 Si-P 3 Si-B Si-P 2 Si-B
ECONOMICS
A 3 kW PV residential retrofit system in the US costs ~$25,000 Amortized over a 20 year mortgage, the cost of PV electricity is ~25 cents per kWh in most U.S. locations The average cost of utility/grid electricity is 8.2 cents per kWh in the U.S. and between 0.10 and 0.15 €per kWh in Europe.
Studies suggest an added hidden societal cost behind all fossil-fueled power plant ranging from 7 to 20 cents per kWh.
ECONOMICS
Although the production of electrical grade Si has increased, acquisition of raw Si has not.
DEMAND > SUPPLY
ECONOMICS
KEY POINT
Costs can be reduced by: Alternative materials Reduced material cost Reduced processing cost Increased efficiencies Alternative uses of Si Amorphous Si (non-crystalline) Si layered with glass
ALTERNATIVES
Materials
Cadmium Telluride Polymers Dye-sensitized solar cells Processing
Thin films Ribbon Printing Nano-crystalline materials
EFFICIENCIES
Amorphous silicon (Tandem) Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) thin film Multi (or Poly) crystalline silicon Mono-crystalline silicon (SiN) Saturn Mono-crystalline silicon 6 - 7% 8 - 10% 12 -15% 13 -16% 15 -18%
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
PSU Courses EDSGN 497A: Sustainable Design and Engineering ENGR 097S: Solar Racers Center for Sustainability (www.engr.psu.edu/cfs) Solar Decathlon www.solar.psu.edu
Powerlion- portable PV station New 1750 W PV array Penn State Energy Institute – Sustainable Energy Research Faculty Dr. Andy Lau – ASE Dr. Christopher Wronski – EE Dr. John Asbury - Chemistry
REFERENCES
http://www.pvresources.com/en/history.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaics http://science.howstuffworks.com/solar-cell.htm
“Everything You Wanted to Know About Solar PhotovoltaicsBut Were Afraid to Ask”, BP Solar Publication International Energy Outlook 2006,
Energy Information Administration Annual Energy Outlook 2007
,
Energy Information Administration
Flin, David. “Thin films for fat profits”,
Modern Power Systems
, 26(2), 2006.
“I'd put my money on the sun and
solar
energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait till oil and coal run out before we tackle that.”
--Thomas Edison
LET’S CHAT!
QUESTIONS??
COMMENTS??
“If to do were as easy as to know what is good to do, then paupers would be princes and a poor man’s hovel, a rich man’s estate.” –
William Shakespeare