Investigation of the Photon to Charge Conversion and Its Implication on Photovoltaic Cell Efficient Operation

Vasileios Kapsalis, Grigorios Kyriakopoulos, Miltiadis Zamparas and Athanasios Tolis
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Vasileios Kapsalis: Sector of Industrial Management and Operational Research, School of Mechanical Engineering, Zografou Campus, National Technical University of Athens, 157 80 Athens, Greece
Grigorios Kyriakopoulos: Photometry Laboratory, Electric Power Division, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Zografou Campus, National Technical University of Athens, 157 80 Athens, Greece
Miltiadis Zamparas: School of Science and Technology, Hellenic Open University, Parodos Aristotelous 18, 263 35 Patras, Greece
Athanasios Tolis: Sector of Industrial Management and Operational Research, School of Mechanical Engineering, Zografou Campus, National Technical University of Athens, 157 80 Athens, Greece

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 11, 1-16

Abstract: Efficient photon to charge (PTC) transfer is considered to be the cornerstone of technological improvements in the photovoltaic (PV) industry, while it constitutes the most common process in nature. This study aims to investigate the parameters that impact efficient PV-cell photon to charge conversion in two ways: (a) providing a brief research analysis to extract the key features which affect the electrical and optical performance of PV cells’ operation, and (b) investigating the dependance of these characteristics on the photon to charge mechanisms. The former direction focuses on the latest advances regarding the impacts of the microenvironment climate conditions on the PV module and its operational performance, while the latter examines the fundamental determinants of the cell’s efficient operation. The electrical and optical parameters of the bulk PV cells are influenced by both the external microenvironment and the intrinsic photon to charge conversion principles. Light and energy harvesting issues need to be overcome, while nature-inspired interpretation and mimicking of photon to charge and excitation energy transfer are in an infant stage, furthering a better understanding of artificial photosynthesis. A future research orientation is proposed which focuses on scaling up development and making use of the before mentioned challenges.

Keywords: photovoltaic cell efficiency; thermal regulation; energy and light harvesting; irreversibility losses; quantum dynamics; nature-inspired mimicking (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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