Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
used in Ni-Cd batteries, but the rest is not used and could end
up polluting the environment. Locking up this toxic heavy metal
in a less toxic CdTe compound, and making use of this compound
to manufacture solar panels to produce clean energy, has been
recognised as a good solution. Many research groups are now
concentratingontheresearch,development,andcommercialisation
of CdTe PV technology using low-cost techniques such as close-
space sublimation and electrodeposition. DSSCs are in the scaling-
upstage,andorganicsolarcellsareintheirinfancy.Alltechnologies
based on CdTe, CIGS, DSSC, and organic materials are moving
forward with commercialisation programmes.
2.7 Summary
This chapter presented the current status of different solar energy
technologies briefly and compared the approximate performance
of each technology. Solar panels based on Si, III-V compounds, and
thin-film solar cells based on CdTe, CIGS, dye-sensitised materials,
and organic polymers are presented. Si solar panels dominate the
market place at present, covering over 85% of the panels used.
The recent developments in CdTe commercialisation by First Solar
are gradually increasing the momentum of the take-up of thin-film
solar cells. CIGS and DSSC solar panels will also enter the energy
conversion market, while organic solar cells find their own niche
applications in the field. By looking at the size of PV solar energy
market, all solar technologies entering into the field will contribute
to the clean energy production process in the future.
References
1. Timeline of solar cells, http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/pdfs/
solar timeline.pdf
2. D. M. Chapin, C. S. Fuller, and G. L. Pearson (1954) A new silicon p-n
junction photocell for converting solar radiation into electrical power,
J. Appl. Phys
.,
25
, 676.
3. J. Poortmans and V. Arkhipov (eds) (2007)
Thin Film Solar Cells
(Fabrication, Characterisation and Applications)
, John Wiley & Sons.
