Materials for Solar Energy Conversion

Amorphous Silicon

One of the most widely spread techniques is amorphous on thin film by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method, approximately 5% to 7%, and for double, triple junction raised upto 10% [31]. The following materials that are generated from amorphous silicon are amorphous silicon (a-Si), amorphous silicon germanium (a-SiGe), microcrystalline silicon (c-Si), amorphous silicon nitride (a-SiN), and nano-crystalline silicon (nc-Si) [32].

Cadmium Telluride

This material is simple for deposition and best appropriate to large scale industries. It produces high efficiency than other solar cells on thin film technique but its more toxic element [33].

Few applications are noted here as follows:

✓ Irrigation purposes

✓ In remote areas to supply electricity for street lights

✓ Refrigeration field

✓ In buildings

✓ Satellite communication

✓ Climate monitoring system, etc.

When exposed to open atmosphere, the silicon solar cells may be exaggerated over a period of years due to change in climatic conditions such as humidity, temperature, and air [34]. Photovoltaic silicon modules produce lesser efficiency because of higher temperatures in summer season. Researchers stated that 5% percentage of efficiency would be fallen for every 10°C raise in temperature range since few amount of temperatures could not captured properly by the modules [35]. To overcome this type of problems, modern technology is established by scientists as photoelectric method, namely, photovoltaic thermal systems. This system is adopted by the combination of two models that are photovoltaic and solar thermal collectors, which results in better efficiency [36]. However, overall efficiency will be fallen during summer climatic conditions, so that fluid medium is used to improve the performance of a PV/T system. In the recent days, newly introduced mediums are nanofluids in order to increase performance even better than using water-based mediums [37, 38].

Applications and developing technologies of solar thermal energy resources on both domestic and industrial purposes are discussed in this chapter. The improvement of solar power energy in terms of quality products as well as utilization of various fields is studied. Even though there are many methods for conversion of solar energy into other forms of energy, suitable solar thermal collector is designed based on the applications related to systems arrangement. It was identified that solar thermal collector and photovoltaic thermal systems are more viable for different industrial and domestic usages.

Solar power systems compared with other energy conversion systems acquires a less initial cost with minimal emission generation. Possibility of integrated solar energy conversion systems over conventional method related to industrial applications like heating and cooling has more benefits than other surviving techniques.

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