The emergence of concentrator photovoltaics for perovskite solar cells

Sadhukhan, Priyabrata; Roy, Anurag; Sengupta, Payal; Das, Sachindranath; Mallick, Tapas K.; Nazeeruddin, Mohammad Khaja; Sundaram, Senthilarasu

Abstract

The emergence of high-efficiency photovoltaic research is undergoing intense study and is technologically desirable to meet sustainable energy and environmental demand. However, every single solar cell has a theoretical power conversion efficiency limit, and, thus, without compromising the cost, the power conversion efficiency enhancement of a solar cell is highly challenging. As a convenient solution, concentrating photovoltaics can focus sunlight onto an extremely high-efficiency solar cell integrating various optics. Concentrating photovoltaics use optical devices that collect and redirect the light toward the smaller photovoltaic cell and reduce the demand for the mined elements required for the solar cell fabrication. The research interest from the photovoltaic community has concentrated on organic-inorganic hybrid halide perovskite absorbers, and nowadays, perovskite solar cells manifest their outstanding contribution among the low-cost photovoltaic technologies. Inevitably, large-area perovskite solar cells suffer a lot with their poor stability, hindering their commercialization pace. Thus, the implementation of concentrating photovoltaic technology in perovskite solar cells demonstrates an inherent advantage using a smaller size solar cell. This review provides an overview of concentrating photovoltaic technology implementation, including their recent research and development portfolio, their economic benefits in combination with inexpensive optical elements and tracking systems, limitations, challenges, and relative scope of the future study, focusing on the emerging perovskite solar cell technology.

Citation

Sadhukhan, P., Roy, A., Sengupta, P., Das, S., Mallick, T. K., Nazeeruddin, M. K., & Sundaram, S. (2021). The emergence of concentrator photovoltaics for perovskite solar cells. Applied Physics Reviews, 8(4), Article 041324. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0062671

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 11, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Dec 15, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021-12
• Deposit Date: Jan 24, 2022
• Journal: Applied Physics Reviews
• Publisher: AIP Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 4
• Article Number: 041324
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0062671
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2832784