Question of the Week, 14.3.2011
In 1961 Shockley and Queisser proposed the detailed balance limit of a classical single p-n junction solar cell. The ultimate efficiency has been evaluated to be 44 %. However, several factors reduce this figure [1]. Nowadays solar cell efficiencies vary from 6 % for amorphous silicon-based solar cells to 42 % for concentrator multijunction research-cell and is only about 20 % for the commercially available modules [2]. Attempts to enhance the efficiency of solar cells are still being made. Can researchers break through the barrier?
[1] William Shockley and Hans J. Queisser, “Detailed Balance Limit of Efficiency of p-n Junction Solar Cells”, Journal of Applied Physics, Volume 32 (March 1961), pp. 510-519; DOI:10.1063/1.1736034
[2] “2008 Solar Technologies Market Report: January 2010.” (2010). 131 pp. NREL Report TP-6A2-46025; DOE/GO-102010-2867. http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/pdfs/46025.pdf
Yuriy Khalavka