Boosting silicon photovoltaic efficiency from regasification of liquefied natural gas

Jeffrey M. Gordon, Gilad Moses and Eugene A. Katz

Energy, 2021, vol. 214, issue C

Abstract: The regasification of liquefied natural gas from 111 K to ambient temperature represents a standard large-scale process that currently dissipates a worldwide total of ∼105 TWh/yr of cold energy to seawater. We consider the potential efficiency enhancement attainable by exploiting this nominally free cold energy to cool conventional silicon photovoltaics. Whether the temperature dependence of photovoltaic performance at ordinary operating conditions can be extrapolated to cryogenic temperatures has remained unexplored territory. In measuring the principal PV performance variables down to cryogenic temperatures, we show that such cooling can boost PV efficiency by close to 80% relative.

Keywords: Silicon solar cells; Temperature dependence; Efficiency enhancement; Liquefied natural gas; Regasification; Cryogenic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:214:y:2021:i:c:s0360544220320144

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2020.118907

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