Thermally enhanced photoluminescence for heat harvesting in photovoltaics

Assaf Manor, Nimrod Kruger, Tamilarasan Sabapathy and Carmel Rotschild ()
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Assaf Manor: Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology
Nimrod Kruger: Grand Energy Program, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology
Tamilarasan Sabapathy: Technion—Israel Institute of Technology
Carmel Rotschild: Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract The maximal Shockley–Queisser efficiency limit of 41% for single-junction photovoltaics is primarily caused by heat dissipation following energetic-photon absorption. Solar-thermophotovoltaics concepts attempt to harvest this heat loss, but the required high temperatures (T>2,000 K) hinder device realization. Conversely, we have recently demonstrated how thermally enhanced photoluminescence is an efficient optical heat-pump that operates in comparably low temperatures. Here we theoretically and experimentally demonstrate such a thermally enhanced photoluminescence based solar-energy converter. Here heat is harvested by a low bandgap photoluminescent absorber that emits thermally enhanced photoluminescence towards a higher bandgap photovoltaic cell, resulting in a maximum theoretical efficiency of 70% at a temperature of 1,140 K. We experimentally demonstrate the key feature of sub-bandgap photon thermal upconversion with an efficiency of 1.4% at only 600 K. Experiments on white light excitation of a tailored Cr:Nd:Yb glass absorber suggest that conversion efficiencies as high as 48% at 1,500 K are in reach.

Date: 2016
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms13167

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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13167

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