Commercialization of Solar cells

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Commercialization of Solar cells
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How it works

• Cell
• Modules
• Panels
• Arrays

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Three Types of Silicon Solar cells

• Monocrystalline
• Multicrystalline
• Amorphous

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Monocrystalline

• These silicon cells are saw-cut from a single,
  cylindrical crystal of silicon. They are the most
  efficient of the three

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Additional information

• High efficiency, roughly 15
• Pure Silicon which means no impurities
• Costs are much higher
• More detailed required in manufacturing

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Multicrystalline

• These are cut from an ingot of melted and
  recrystallized silicon.

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Additional information

• Less efficiency than Monocrystalline
• Less expensive
• Square cuts minimize wasted surface area

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Amorphous silicon

• Rather than coming from a crystal structure,
  these cells are created from a thin layer of
  silicon atoms.

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Additional information

• No structural uniformity like other silicon solar
  cells
• Requires less temperature to produce
• Often used for calculators and other small low
  energy devices
• Hydrogenation

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Hydrogenation

• But amorphous silicon can be deposited so that
  it contains a small amount of hydrogen, in a
  process called "hydrogenation." The result is
  that the hydrogen atoms combine chemically with
  many of the dangling bonds, essentially removing
  them and permitting electrons to move through the
  material.

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Czochralski process

• Seed crystal dipped in molten crucible
• Slowly pulled upward
• Creates ingot as it slowly turns
• Constant heat applied

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Cutting Process

• 20 waste from cutting thin slices kerf
• Wire saw with diamond

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Coating

• Anti-reflective coat
• Electrical contact forms PV cells
• Glass is used for the outside protective layer

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John Geisz and Mark Wanlass

• 40.8 solar cell efficiency
• Highest ever recorded
• Under 326 suns
• Gallium indium phosphide

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How to make a PV at home

• Cut out a copper piece equal to electric burner
  size
• Leave it on for roughly 1.5 hours until it
  oxidizes (complete black)

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• Let it cool after it has turned black
• As it cools it will shrink (different rates of
  shrinking)
• Flake off the rest with your hands

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Complete the Circuit

• After majority of the black flakes are off, cut
  another copper sheet equal in size
• Connect clips to each piece dipped in water with
  sunlight

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Too much for too little

• Only produces .25V at 25 microamps
• Not efficient
• Requires acres to actually make use
• 80,000 square meters to light 100 lightbulbs

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Videos

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vqYeynLy6pj8
• http//www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/22/solar-pla
  ne-crosses-alps_n_206835.html

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Spacecrafts

• US satellite Vanguard 1, launched in March 1958
  with solar cells made by Hoffman Electronics
• This was a crucial development which stimulated
  funding from several governments into research
  for improved solar cells

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U.S Solar Cells

• 30 megawatt
• Being built for Austin, Tx
• Nearby Weberville
• 300 Acres

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Looking at the Future

• Sahara Desert
• Worlds largest solar array
• .03 area is enough to power all of Europe

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Army
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• 12 acres covering former landfill in Colorado
• 2 megawatt
• Largest array in army

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Resources

• http//www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/silicon.html
• http//www.beyondzeroemissions.org/2008/08/26/Dr-M
  ark-Wanlass-discusses-award-winning-inverted-metam
  orphic-multi-junction-photovoltaic-cell
• http//scitoys.com/scitoys/scitoys/echem/echem2.ht
  ml
• http//dvice.com/archives/2009/06/worlds-largest-4
  .php
• http//www.inhabitat.com/2009/06/03/us-largest-sol
  ar-power-facility-approved-in-austin/
• http//ecoworldly.com/2008/03/05/worlds-7-biggest-
  solar-energy-plants/