Solar Energy Capture Materials

This book introduces a range of the different inorganic materials used in solar energy capture materials.

Energy is an important area of contemporary research, with clear societal benefits. It is a fast-developing and application-driven research area, with chemistry leading the discovery of new solids, which are then studied by physicists and materials scientists. Solar Energy Capture Materials introduces a range of the different inorganic materials used, with an emphasis on how solid-state chemistry allows development of new functional solids for energy applications. Dedicated chapters cover silicon-based photovoltaic devices, compound semiconductor-based solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC), solution processed solar cells and emerging materials. Edited and written by world-renowned scientists, this book will provide a comprehensive introduction for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers wishing to learn about the topic.

The capture and use of solar energy has been growing for many years, but only in recent times have advances in design and manufacture allowed us to see the incorporation of solar energy as a significant player in the renewable energy arena. Solar cells are at the heart of any photovoltaic system and in this book the various types are described and their characteristics reviewed. Going beyond materials, design and function, ‘Solar Cells’ also covers their testing, monitoring and calibration thus providing a comprehensive account of current activity in this important field of research and industry. ‘Solar Cells’ has been abstracted from the recent ‘Practical Handbook of Photovoltaics’ by the same editors (ISBN 185617 3909. 2003: Elsevier) Internationally-respected contributors from industry and academia Abstracted from ‘The Practical Handbook of Photovoltaics' by the same Editors A comprehensive source-book on all aspects of solar cells

Solar cell energy is the single most pressing issue facing humanity, with a more technologically advanced society requiring better energy resources. This book discusses technologies broadly, depending on how they capture and distribute solar energy or convert it into solar power. The major areas covered in this book are: • The theory of solar cells, which explains the conversion of light energy in photons into electric current. The theoretical studies are practical because they predict the fundamental limits of a solar cell. • The design and development of thin-film technology-based solar cells. • State of the art for bulk material applied for solar cells based on crystalline silicon (c-Si), also known as “solar grade silicon,” and emerging photovoltaics.

The last ten years have seen rapid advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology, allowing unprecedented manipulation of the nanoscale structures controlling solar capture, conversion, and storage. Filled with cutting-edge solar energy research and reference materials, the Handbook of Research on Solar Energy Systems and Technologies serves as a one-stop resource for the latest information regarding different topical areas within solar energy. This handbook will emphasize the application of nanotechnology innovations to solar energy technologies, explore current and future developments in third generation solar cells, and provide a detailed economic analysis of solar energy applications.

This book will provide an authoritative reference on the various aspects of materials science that will impact the next generation of photovoltaic (PV) module technology. The materials emphasis will bring a fresh perspective to the literature and will highlight the many issues that are often buried in other texts where the solution to materials challenges can be crucial in developing a new PV technology. The emphasis of the book will be on the range of thin film PV materials. Thin film PV is growing more rapidly that crystalline silicon and although only 10% of the current market could dominate in the longer term. This book will address the fundamental aspects of PV solar cell materials and give a comprehensive description of each of the major thin film materials either in research or in production. Particular attention will be given to the key materials drivers of solar conversion efficiency, long term stability, materials costs and materials sustainability. The book will be essential reading for materials scientists, energy technologists and all those involved in solid-state physics.

Although the sun beams out more than enough energy to meet the needs of all of Earth's population, at the moment only a small percentage of the power we use is generated through the use of solar energy technologies. This volume examines the factors that have limited the role of solar power in the past and discusses some of the developments that promise to make it more significant in the future. Readers will learn about various methods for collecting solar power, such as concentrating collectors, flat-plate collectors, and photovoltaic cells. The opening chapter focuses on the sun itself, explaining the thermonuclear reactions that produce energy there.

Written for use as a text and reference for those interested in how new materials may be used to capture, store, and use solar energy for alternative energy resources in everyday life, Solar Fuels: Materials, Physics, and Applications discusses the fundamentals of new materials and the physical processes involved in their mechanisms and design. This book offers clear examples of current state-of-the-art organic and inorganic solar cell materials and devices used in the field, and includes experiments testing solar capability along with standardized examples. Last, but not least, it also gives a clear outline of the challenges that need to be addressed moving forward.