Renewable Energy

Photovoltaic - Solar Cell

Daniel Pham
 Solar Source
• The average solar power incident on Continental
US is 1600 x 1012 W
This is 500x the power consumption in US
(3.3 x 1012 W)

• If we cover 2% of the continental US with 10%

efficient PV systems, we would make all the energy
we need.

• FYI:
• 1.5% of Continental US is covered by roads
 Drivers for Solar power
• 2 billions people without electricity
worldwide
• Low cost for remote requirements
• Power line extension costs $10,000
to $30,000 per mile
• Reduce peaking loads
• Government subsidies
• Environmental friendly
 How Photovoltaic Solar Cell Work

p-n junction

Light can be separated into different wavelengths

Only photon has more energy required can generate electron-hole pair
Theoretical Efficiency of Photovoltaic Cell

High band gap PV cell provides higher voltage

Typical efficiency of commercial PV is around 12%
 Types of Photovoltaic Cell
 First Generation PV Cell:
– Single crystalline silicon
– Multi-junction cell (different band-gap materials)
 Second Generation PV Cell:
– Thin film silicon (amorphous silicon)
– CdTe (Cadmium Telluride)
– CuInSe2 (Copper Indium Diselenide)

 Third Generation PV Cell

– Ultra-High Efficiency concepts (>80%)
– Ultra-low Cost
 Polymer cells with quantum dots or nanostructures

CdTe rods in polymer Carbon nanotube on Si

for more efficient solar power
 Photovoltaic Roadmap

1st Generation PV
Crystalline Silicon

2nd Generation PV
Thin Film

3rd Generation PV
Ultra-High Efficiency
Ultra-Low Cost

Source: European Commission meeting Dec. 2004

 Decline Price of PV

Where is the cost:

PV manufacturing cost
• Produce wafer (40%)
• Fabricate cell (30%) State, federal, utility and
• Interconnect and laminate (30%)
other subsidize combine
• Installation cost (same as cost paying half of the cost
of the module)
Worldwide PV Growth

Source: European Commission meeting Dec. 2004

 Future Reality ?

If the PV market growth continues at rate of

20% and panel lasts 50yrs, there will be 100 TW
of energy provide by PV cells on the ground

Within 50 years, photovoltaic will

supply more than half of the world’s
supply energy
Government Policy For Solar Energy
 National Energy Policy Act of 1992
– Using other alternative energy sources by 2010
– Reduce green house gas emission by other alternative energy sources

 Alternative Fuels Initiative (Summer 1998)

– Energy Smart Schools, to cut energy bills in schools and reinvest the savings in
educating the nation's most valuable resource - our children. (Solar power panel
started installing in schools)

 The Million Solar Roofs Initiative, announced in June,

1997, by President Clinton, to install solar energy systems on one
million rooftops by the year 2010.

 The Energy Policy Act of 2005, the new national energy law signed by
President Bush on August 8, 2005, valuable federal tax credits

 Financial Opportunity
– Federal, State and subsidize for consumer
– Grants, Federal funding for manufacturing and development
 Conclusions
 Solar power source is abundant
 Many types of PV cells are in development
to meet to PV Roadmap for future needs
 PV cells’ efficiency can be increased and
underdevelopment
 Solar power from PV cell are safe and
potentially growing