solar energy conversion toward 1 terawatt

7/31/2019 Solar Energy Conversion Toward 1 TeraWatt

1/19

355

Harvesting energy directly from sunlight using photovoltaic(PV) technology or concentrating solar power (solar thermalenergy conversion) is increasingly being recognized as an essen-tial component of future global energy production. The decreasedavailability of fossil fuel sources and the realization of the detri-mental long-term effects of emissions of CO2 and other green-

house gases into the atmosphere are driving research anddeployment for new environmentally friendly energy sources,especially renewable energy resources. An additional drivingforce is the increasing worldwide sensitivity toward energy secu-rity and price stability. Capturing even a small fraction of the162,000 terawatts (TW) that reaches the earth would signicantlyimpact the overall energy balance. PV systems, in addition, are

portable and well-suited to distributed applications. The large-scale manufacturing of photovoltaics is increasingly economi-cally viable. The rapid expansion of manufacturing capability inPV components and the deployment of concentrating solar power(CSP) systems offers the potential for supplying a signicantfraction (10% without need for storage) of our energy demandwith minimal environmental impact. (See accompanying sidebar

by Mehos for additional detail.) In addition, it is clear that thesetechnologies represent one of the next major high-technologyeconomic drivers eventually succeeding microelectronics, tele-communications, and display industries. Truly achieving thisgoal will require materials-science-driven cost reductions, not

just incremental cost reductions through economies of scale.In 2004, the average total worldwide power consumption

was 15 TW (1.5 1013 W), with 86.5% from the burning of fossilfuels, according to U.S. Department of Energy statistics. In2003, 39.6 quads (1 quad = 1 quadrillion BTU = 1.055 109 GJ,29.9 quad = 1 TW-year) of energy, largely from fossil fuels, wasconsumed to produce electricity just in the United States. Afterconversion losses, 13.1 quads of net electrical energy was output

by power plants for general consumption.1 This amount of elec-tricity could be produced by a 100 km 100 km area of high

solar insolation, such as in the desert southwestern United States,

covered with solar modules with a power conversion efciencyof 15%. In order to meet the U.S. Department of Energy costgoal of $0.33/W or $0.050.06/kWh for utility-scale production,these modules would need to be manufactured at a cost of $50/m2 or less. Goals for solar thermal power are comparable.Although the costs of modules are falling substantially, reaching

these objectives with todays technology will require signicantimprovements in cell performance, as well as in the additionalcomponents making up the balance of solar systems. In addition,a variety of new technologies including thin lms, thin silicon,organic photovoltaics, multijunction concentrator approaches,and next-generation nanostructured devices have the potential tosignicantly reduce the cost per watt.

With the recognition of the vast potential of photovoltaictechnology, worldwide production levels for terrestrial solar cellmodules have been growing rapidly over the past several years,with Japan recently taking the lead in total production volume(Figure 1). Current production is dominated by crystalline sili-con modules (including both large-grain polycrystalline andsingle-crystalline materials), which represent 94% of the market.Devices based on silicon wafers, single- or polycrystalline, have

been termed rst-generation photovoltaic technology. Theseare fairly simple single-junction devices (diodes) that are limited

by thermodynamic considerations to a maximum theoreticalpower conversion efciency of31% under direct AM1.5 sun-light.2 Solar cells and modules are usually characterized accord-ing to the IEC norm3 under standard test conditions (STC), whichcorrespond to 1 kW/m2 (100 mW/cm2) direct perpendicular irra-diance under a global AM 1.5 spectrum at 25C cell temperature.This means that an ideal silicon solar cell operating under directsunlight converts approximately 30% of the illuminating solarradiation into electrical power, although actual cells suffer from

parasitic losses. Current silicon solar cell design represents a con-siderable evolution beyond that of a simple single-junctiondevice incorporating passivation of the surfaces, light trapping,

and sophisticated anti-reection coatings to help absorb most of

355

SEE ALSO SIDEBARS:

Concentrating Solar Power

Thermoelectrics

Off-Grid Solar

3 GW Initiative

RECOURCES SOLARRESOURCES SOLAR

Solar Energy Conversion Toward1 Terawatt

David Ginley (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, USA)

Martin A. Green (University o New South Wales, Australia)

Reuben Collins (Colorado School o Mines, USA)

AbstractThe direct conversion o solar energy to electricity by photovoltaic cells or thermal energy in con-centrated solar power systems is emerging as a leading contender or next-generation greenpower production. The photovoltaics (PV) area is rapidly evolving based on new materials anddeposition approaches. At present, PV is predominately based on crystalline and polycrystalline Siand is growing at >40% per year with production rapidly approaching 3 gigawatts/year with PVinstallations supplying


2/19

RESOURCES SOLAR

356 MRS BULLETIN VOLUME 33 APRIL 2008 www.mrs.org/bulletin Harnessing Materials for Energy

the light in the wavelength range accessible to silicon and ensurethat each absorbed photon leads to a carrier in the external circuit.Figure 2 illustrates a Sanyo high-efciency Si heterojunctionwith intrinsic thin layer (HIT) solar cell that has an efciency ofup to 22.3%.4 In fact, for the bandgap of Si, some current cellsare pushing against the theoretical limit, so that it is methods toachieve signicant cost reductions for the manufacturing of thesesophisticated structures that are needed.

The progress in the efciency of research-scale photovoltaicdevices over the past several decades is shown in Figure 3. Innearly every technology, better understanding of materials anddevice properties has resulted in a continuous increase in ef-ciency. Si, as already noted, is very close to its theoretical limit.In contrast, thin lms such as amorphous Si (a-Si), Cu(In,Ga)Se2(CIGS), and CdTe are all well below their potential maxima, andresearch efciencies do not easily translate into production ef-ciencies. New technologies such as dye cells, organic photovolta-ics, and third-generation concepts have just begun and have along materials and development path ahead. These observationsare apparent in the referenced compilation of highest conrmedcell and module efciencies for many of the PV technologies.5

One key to the development of any photovoltaic technologyis the cost reduction associated with economies of scale. Thishas been very evident in the case of crystalline silicon (c-Si)

photovoltaics. Figure 4 shows the decrease in the cost of crystal-line silicon photovoltaic modules as the production rate hasincreased, as well as predicted future costs for both wafer-basedc-Si and the emerging technologies to be discussed.6 The currentcost of$4/Wp (Wp = watt peak) is still too high to signicantlyinuence energy production markets. Although it is difcult todetermine exactly, best estimates are that costs for wafer-basedSi panels will level off in the range of $11.50/Wp in the next 10years,7 substantially higher than the $0.33/Wp target.

Thus, over the past decade, there has been considerable effortin advancing thin-lm, second-generation technologies that donot require the use of silicon wafer substrates and can therefore bemanufactured at signicantly reduced cost. Steady progress has

been made in laboratory efciencies as can be seen in Figure 3

for devices based on CdS/CdTe,Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS), and amor-

phous Si. These devices are fabri-cated using techniques such assputtering, physical vapor deposi-tion, and hot-wire chemical vapordeposition. Multijunction cells

based on amorphous Si and amor-phous SiGe alloys have beenthe most economically successfulsecond-generation technology todate because of their ability to befabricated at relatively low costand to be integrated into electron-ics and roong materials. Thesecells, together with other single-

junction amorphous Si devices,comprise 6% of the market notdominated by silicon.

However, it is not clear thatsecond-generation technologies

are capable of displacing siliconunless they can demonstrate sig-nicant cost reductions. The sin-gle counterexample has been therecent emergence of CdTe fromFirst Solar,8 with a compellinglow manufacturing cost in therange of $1.25/Wp. However,

there are some residual concerns about the environmentaleffects of Cd, leading First Solar to adopt a cradle-to-graveapproach, from sourcing of Cd from mining byproducts throughrecovery and recycling of Cd from used solar cells.

Although not based on thin lms, concentrating solar applica-tions using either photovoltaic cells (typically high-efciency butcostly groups IIIV multijunction devices) or solar thermal col-

lectors, take advantage of the relatively low cost of concentrating

Figure 1. World photovoltaic module production (in megawatts), total consumer, and commercial percountry (rom PV News, Paul Maycock, Editor; February 2004). Most o this production is rom

crystalline or multicrystalline Si solar cells at present.

Figure 2. Illustration o the Sanyo heterojunction with intrinsic thinlayer (HIT) cell that is based on crystalline Si and has demonstrated a

22% eciency. TCO means transparent conducting oxide, typicallyused as a contact, and CZ indicates Czochralski-grown, which means

pulled rom the melt as a single crystal. The three types o amorphous

silicon (a-Si) included in the cell dier in the types o dopants (orimpurities) that have been added:i-type (or intrinsic) is undoped,n-type contains a dopant (such as phosphorous) that increases the

number o ree negative charge carriers (i.e., electrons), and p-typecontains a dopant (such as boron) that increases the number o ree

positive charge carriers (i.e., holes). The types and amounts oimpurities in the silicon aect its conductivity and other properties.


3/19

RESOURCES SOLAR

357MRS BULLETIN VOLUME 33 APRIL 2008 www.mrs.org/bulletin Harnessing Materials for Energy

optics to compensate for high-cost converters. These approachesare cost-competitive with most of the thin-lm technologies.

In addition, an emerging set of devices employ organic- ordye-based absorbers/acceptors including the Grtzel cell, organic

photovoltaic cells, and a number of third-generation conceptsincluding intermediate-band devices (i.e., devices that use animpurity level in the bandgap of the semiconductor to essentiallysplit the gap to absorb more solar radiation), quantum dot solarcells, and multiple exciton devices. Some of these devices (i.e.,

the Grtzel cell and polymer-based bulk heterojunction devices)have demonstrated initially attractive efciencies of >10% and>5%, respectively. Many of these devices can be fabricated withlow-cost, solution-based, low-temperature, atmospheric-pressure

processing approaches such asspray painting or inkjet printing.

The increasing manufacturingcapacity in solar cells depicted inFigure 1, coupled with the uncer-tainties of fossil fuel energy sources,is clearly a signicant driver for

current photovoltaic technologies.Ultimately, however, there will belimits on how much the costs of cur-rent technologies can be reduced.Achieving truly competitive costand efciency might require break-throughs even in mainstay technol-ogies. This is represented by the red,

black, and blue learning curves inFigure 4, where signicant techno-logical advances might be neces-sary to stay on the present trajectoryat very high production volumes.This has driven more attention to

the concept of third-generation PVtechnologies, as shown in Figure5.9,10 Here, the primary focus is onthose approaches to solar energyconversion that strive to achievevery high efciencies by exploiting

processes that have smaller losses than a diode-based approachincluding hot-carrier collection, multiple electronhole pair cre-ation, and thermophotonics where the theoretical maximum ef-ciencies are in excess of the 31% ShockleyQueisser limit for asingle-junction device. In this case, the allowed cost of the cellcan be higher. An alternative is to develop moderate-efciencydevices (15%) at extremely reduced costs. This is where print-able organic solar cell devices and other approaches that are notcapital- or energy-intensive might become important. Achieving

the goal of


4/19

RESOURCES SOLAR


device-level materials science, it is important to keep in mindthe broad range of materials considerations required for cost-effective solar conversion systems. For example, solar systemsmust have anticipated installation lifetimes and warranties ofup to 25 years. To accomplish this goal, all of the system com-

ponents must be long-lived, low-maintenance, and stable. Thisrequires solar cell packaging, contacting (bus structures), and

support structures to be stable in a wide variety of climates withextremes in temperature, humidity, and wind, for example.Crystalline Si and stabilized amorphous Si have been able tomeet these challenges. To date, the other thin-lm technologieshave not been commercially available long enough to evaluatetheir lifetimes, making the ability to perform accelerated agingon modules to predict stability a critical emerging area of solarscience. Coupled closely to the development of improved cost-effective photovoltaics is the eventual development of low-costenergy storage solutions, as discussed elsewhere in this issue(see the article and sidebar by Whittingham and the article byCrabtree and Dresselhaus). Also, as with all other technologies,PV modules contain valuable materials that will need to berecycled. Such considerations are generating interest in cradle-

to-grave or lifecycle approaches by some solar companies (suchas First Solar mentioned earlier), whereby they install and willeventually remove and recycle their products. The naturalresource needs, environmental issues of the various technolo-gies, and impacts of recycling on the efcacy of technologiesthat use scarce or toxic materials are also important consider-ations as the solar energy sector moves forward.

First-Generation TechnologiesFirst-generation technologies are primarily crystalline Si

(including large-grain poly- and single-crystalline) materials.Figure 6 shows a 2 megawatt (MW) system installed at theSacramento Municipal Utility District power station in RanchoSeco, Arizona.

The current technologies are rapidly evolving toward costs

of $12/Wp (see Figure 4). Key issues are Si feedstock supply,losses involved in preparing silicon wafers, and the develop-ment of lower cost high-throughput processing. To this end, anumber of companies are exploring the use of ribbon-basedtechnologies in which crystalline Si is grown as a thin sheetdirectly from molten Si. This avoids the kerf loss (materials lost

by sawing) associated with cutting blocks of polycrystalline

silicon or boules of single-crystal Si into wafers. To date, thematerials produced by the ribbon approach have not yielded theefciencies of wafer-based single-crystal materials, but theirefciencies are reasonable for commercial viability. Both theribbon and boule technologies are striving to achieve thinnercells. A cell that is approximately 30 microns (m) thick andhas an efciency comparable to that of current cells (which are

100200m thick) would signicantly reduce materials costs.Manufacturing such a cell would require new ways to process,contact, and handle such thin materials. For example, contact-ing could be done by inkjet noncontact printing instead of thescreen-print approach currently employed.

Second-Generation TechnologiesSecond-generation technologies are those that have demon-

strated practical conversion efciencies and potentially lowercosts per watt than crystalline silicon, but that have no signi-cant market penetration at present. Commercialization of theseapproaches is typically in the early manufacturing phase. Thisgroup represents a fairly broad base of technologies, includingthin-lm photovoltaics, solar concentrators, solar thermal con-

version, and the emerging eld of organic photovoltaics thatsits between second- and third-generation technologies. Thepotential for producing power at substantially reduced cost hasrecently been demonstrated by First Solar for CdTe solar cells,with a reported manufacturing cost of $1.25/Wp. Some of thekey elements of thin-lm inorganic PV approaches are sum-marized here, and further details can be found in a recentMRS

Bulletin issue.11

Amorphous silicon has been the most commercially success-ful thin-lm PV technology to date, with 56% of the total PVmarket. Devices are typically single- or triple-junction designslaid down in multiple layers by vacuum deposition processessuch as sputtering and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposi-tion (Figure 7). The continued development of these multijunc-tion cells is a materials challenge pushing the limits of materials

synthesis and processing that is still not fully understood.Amorphous silicon is attractive because its bandgap is quasi-

direct, leading to a larger absorption coefcient and hence thin-ner absorbing layers and less materials cost than crystallinesilicon. That is, Si absorbs light less efciently near its bandedge (indirect gap) than does a-Si, in which absorption turns onvery rapidly (direct gap). Alloying with Ge allows absorption to

be tuned across a useful range of the solar spectrum as is shownin Figure 7.12 Amorphous Si, however, suffers from a light-induced instability known as the StablerWronski effect thatcauses the cell efciency to degrade with time. Although theeffect cannot, as yet, be eliminated, the extent of the degradationcan typically be reduced to 1020% of the as-manufactured (notaged) efciency. Maintaining the initial efciency of a-Si is oneof the great materials science challenges facing this technology.Most of the work to limit this degradation is focused on control-ling the hydrogen content and morphology of the lm duringgrowth. The same growth techniques used to deposit amorphoussilicon can also be used to grow lms consisting of nano- ormicrocrystalline silicon, either with or without an accompany-ing amorphous matrix, if the hydrogen content and depositiontemperatures are changed, for example. These materials showcrystalline, regularly ordered regions on a small length scale andusually form at increased process temperature. As grain sizegrows, the lm begins to have more of the characteristics of

polycrystalline silicon (also called polysilicon), with the energygap becoming more indirect, thicker layers being required forcomplete absorption, and passivation becoming more important.Large-grain-size polycrystalline silicon thin lms produced by

solid phase crystallization of amorphous silicon are also being

Figure 6. Two megawatt system installed at the Sacramento MunicipalUtility District power station in Rancho Seco, Arizona.


5/19

RESOURCES SOLAR


explored and are now in production (CSG Solar). In addition,combinations of polysilicon, amorphous silicon, and microcrys-talline silicon are being explored to develop low-cost thin-lmsilicon solar cells on glass that could substantially reduce costsfor large-area production.

High-Eciency ConcentratorsThe highest efciency solar cells known are multijunction

cells based on GaAs and related groups IIIV materials. Here,very sophisticated molecular beam epitaxy or metalorganicchemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) techniques are employedto grow a multilayer structure such as the triple-junction cell illus-trated in Figure 8. These cells are too expensive for large-areaapplications but are usually used at the focus of mirrors or lensesthat concentrate the solar light bya factor of 501,000. For maxi-mum efciency, the optic collec-tion system must track the sun,which adds mechanical complex-ity to the system. However, byconcentrating the solar energy by

up to 500 times, the cost of the cellcan be reduced to the point that thecost of the optics dominates. Thus,if inexpensive optics and trackerscan be developed, the technologyis very competitive with thin-lmtechnologies. This is a signicantmaterials challenge in its ownright.

The efciency of a single-junction device is limited bytransmission losses of photonswith energies below the bandgapand thermal relaxation of carrierscreated by photons with energies

above the bandgap. The purposeof a multijunction device is tocapture a larger fraction of thesolar spectrum while minimizingthermalization losses. By stack-ing cells in order of their band-gaps, with the cell with the largest

bandgap at the top, light is auto-matically ltered as it passesthrough the stack, ensuring that itis absorbed in the cell most ef-ciently able to convert it. Anotherelegant simplication is that,if bandgaps are appropriatelyselected, all of the cells in thestack will generate close to thesame current, so the cells can besimply interconnected in series.Figure 8 shows how a three-junction cell splits the solar spec-trum, leading to a theoreticalefciency of 52% of the incom-ing energy converted to useful

power for this particular combi-nation of materials. The theoreti-cal limit for multijunction deviceswhere the number of junctionscan be unlimited is above 60%.The best efciencies to date

have actually been over 40%, as

recently reported for Spectrolabon multijunction cells with solarconcentration. Achieving much higher efciencies might requirean increase in the number of junctions and/or integration of newabsorber materials with more optimal bandgaps into thedevices.13 The added complexity of concentrator systems, whichmust use tracking and concentrating optics, raises other issuessuch as appropriate site locations for tracking concentrators and

the potential reliability/maintenance questions for activemechanical devices. The concentrator approach also collectslittle of the diffuse (scattered) solar radiation.

Solar Thermal ConversionHistorically, the most prevalent use of solar thermal systems

has been at-plate systems for domestic hot water or heating.

a b

c

Figure 8. (a) Schematic o a possible conguration or a three- (tr iple-) junction device and (b) picture

o a GaInP/GaAs/GaInAs cell with a demonstrated 31.3% eciency. (c) Solar spectrum illustrating thebasic approach or spectrum splitting by a multijunction cell. A our-junction device with bandgaps o

1.8 eV, 1.4 eV, 1.0 eV, and 0.7 eV would have a theoretical eciency o >52%.

Figure 7. Triple-junction spectrum-splitting amorphous (Si/Ge and Si) and microcrystalline silicon solar

cell structure produced on a fexible steel substrate. Note: TCO, transparent conducting oxide; PECVD,plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. (From United Solar Ovonic.)


6/19

RESOURCES SOLAR


Worldwide, this is perhaps the largest use of solar energy at pres-ent, estimated at up to 88 gigawatts (GW) per year according toan Environment California report. In fact, solar hot water isrequired for new housing in some countries such as Israel. Thesesystems can be either passive or active. A passive system typi-cally uses no pumps and depends on a gravity feed, as shown inFigure 9. These systems represent an important energy-saving

technology that can be applied almost anywhere.More recently, large-area solar thermal systems have emerged

as a promising option. Such systems use concentrating collec-tors for the solar radiation and heat a working uid to a hightemperature; the hot uid can then be easily stored and utilizedlater to make steam to turn a turbine to generate electrical power.Figure 10 shows the solar power tower in California, which usesmolten salts as a working uid to produce 10 MW of power.

Other approaches to central solar thermal power includeparabolic dish systems and parabolic trough systems. All of thesystems operate at relatively high temperatures, ideally 400Cor higher. This enables in situ storage and ready generation ofsteam. Key materials challenges lie in the development ofworking uids for solar collectors that are stable throughout the

broad temperature range experienced and have high heat capac-ities (amount of heat stored per molecule) but are still low incost. New working uids include polysilicones, nanostructureduids, and molten salts. The other major area is the develop -ment of high-efciency optical coatings for mirrors and for the

absorption of solar energy. Estimates are that solar thermalelectrical power production could be up to 7 GW by 2015. (Seethe sidebar by Tritt et al. for further information.)

High-Eciency Thin FilmsFigure 11 shows typical cross sections of polycrystalline

Cu(InGa)Se2 (CIGS or CIS with no Ga) and CdTe solar cells.

Laboratory efciencies for the former are approaching 20%(Figure 3),14,15 and a large number of companies around theworld are developing a variety of manufacturing approachesaimed at low-cost, high-yield, large-area devices that maintainlaboratory-level efciencies.

Materials challenges exist regarding each layer of thesedevices, as well as the interactions between layers, beginningwith the search for improved transparent conducting oxide(TCO) contacts. Such contacts need to be made from low-cost,

plentiful elements; have high conductivities and high transpar-encies in the visible spectrum; and allow for easy electricalisolation of devices.

Another example is provided by the thin CdS contact layerin both devices that also functions as a window for solar radia-

tion. Because CdS absorbs in the blue wavelength range, it isimportant that this layer be thin. When the layer is too thin,however, pinholes between the TCO contact and the absorberlayer create short circuits. This is especially problematic forCdTe cells, in which diffusion of sulfur into the CdTe layerduring post-growth annealing further decreases the CdS layerthickness. The inclusion of thin buffer layers between the TCOand the CdS, such as a highly resistive transparent oxide,improves efciency.15,16 The exact role of the buffer layer,whether it simply introduces resistance into short circuits orchanges the interfacial energetics, is not well understood, andoptimization of this interface is a critical need. As can be seenin Figure 11, although the absorbing CIGS and CdTe lms arethin (ideally 1m and 5m, respectively), the grain size forefcient devices is a large fraction of the thickness. In the case

of CdTe, this large grain size is achieved by a post-depositionannealing in the presence of CdCl2 and oxygen, which pro-motes low-temperature grain growth. Finding controllable andmanufacturable methods for performing this annealing treat-ment, or, better still, for incorporating it directly into the growth

process, is an active area of research and development. Thehighest efciency CIGS lms are produced by physical vapordeposition, in which the grain microstructure is dened by acomplex evolution from Cu-rich to In- and Ga-rich phases dur-

Figure 9. Passive solar hot water system on a residential

roo top.

Figure 10. Solar 2 power tower in Barstow, Caliornia. The plant uses a

combination o 60% sodium nitrate and 40% potassium nitrate as a

working fuid and heat storage medium.

Figure 11. Cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy images o aCu(InGa)Se2 (CIGS) solar cell (let) and a CdTe cell (right). The absorber

layers are 12.5 and 28m thick, respectively. CTO (cadmium tin

oxide) and ZTO (zinc tin oxide) are transparent conducting oxides usedas transparent electrical contacts to the solar cell.

ZnO, ITO

2500 CdS700

GlassCTO/ZTO,SnO20.20.5 m

CdS6002000

CdTe

CdTe

CIGS

28 m

C-Pastewith Cuor Metals

CTO/ZTO = Cd2SnO4/ZnSnOx

2 m

5 m

Mo

Glass,Metal Foil,

Plastics

0.51 m

12.5 mCIGS


7/19

RESOURCES SOLAR


ing growth.17 Reproducing this growth path with other moremanufacturable deposition options is a major challenge.Incorporation of Na+ ions, which occurs naturally as an aspectof growth on soda lime glass substrates, is also important tooptimizing the CIGS device efciency. Although there is nodenitive explanation for the benecial effects of Na, Na is

believed to reduce the resistivity of the lm and possibly

increase the grain size.18 The defect structures at the grainboundaries in both CIGS and CdTe are just beginning to beunderstood and are believed to play a dominant role in bothminority carrier lifetime and carrier collection. Other absorberlayer materials and processing issues that affect cell costsinclude the need to lower growth and processing temperatureswhich presently exceed 500C for the highest efciency lms,and the desire to use thinner lms without loss of absorption.The latter goal requires methods for increasing the optical pathlength through back-reection, texturing, or light trapping.

For the back contact, signicant challenges exist in under-standing and improving the electronic and structural character-istics of these layers in both CIGS and CdTe devices.Delamination issues, for example, in CIGS cells are typically

correlated with problems in the molybdenum back contact layer.Finally, we note that, although both CIGS and CdTe technolo-gies have demonstrated good operating lifetimes, both are sensi-tive to moisture. They are presently protected by being sealed

between glass plates. A thin-lm encapsulation approach thatprovides a moisture barrier without compromising efciencycould be a signicant advance. Beyond the simple thin-lm cellsdepicted in Figure 11 is the potential to combine thin-lm mate-rials, Si, a-Si, CIS, and CdTe to form tandem cells that capturemore of the solar spectrum, analogously to the previously men-tioned multijunction concentrator structures. Such an approachwould place even more stringent requirements on understandingand controlling the interfaces between dissimilar materials.

Organic Photovoltaic Cells

As detailed in a recentMRS Bulletin issue,19 organic photo-voltaics (OPV) represents a rapidly emerging device technologywith the potential for low-cost non-vacuum-processed devices.OPV devices have rapidly moved from very low efciency toefciencies obtained by Plextronics and Konarka of 5.4% and5.2%, respectively, as documented by the National RenewableEnergy Laboratory (NREL). The key is that these devices com-

bine polymers, small molecules, and inorganic nanostructures tobuild an excitonic-based structure. An excitonic solar cell rstgoes through an excited bound electronhole state that subse-quently generates charge carriers (which can do work in an exter-nal circuit) by decomposing at an interface. The charge carriersare then collected conventionally. Although the excitonic mecha-nism is different from the conventional PV mechanism, the theo-retical efciency is the same as for conventional semiconductordevices, with a cost structure similar to that for plastics process-ing, leading to the potential for signicant reductions in cost perwatt. The development of materials for OPV systems is beingleveraged by the emergence of an organic electronics industry

based on displays (organic light-emitting devices, OLEDs) andtransistors.20,21A key aspect of OPV technology is that the organicsmall-molecule and polymer materials that are being investigatedare inherently inexpensive; typically have very high opticalabsorption coefcients (very thin lms work); are compatiblewith plastic substrates; and can be fabricated using high-through-

put, low-temperature approaches by low-capital-cost roll-to-rollprocesses.22 Thus, if efciencies are comparable to or evenslightly lower than those of existing technologies, there might becompelling cost arguments favoring OPV devices. Another

important aspect of organic materials is their versatility. Organics

exhibit a remarkable exibility in the synthesis of basic mole -cules, allowing for alteration of a wide range of properties,including molecular weight, bandgap, molecular orbital energylevels, wetting properties, structural properties (such as rigidity,conjugation length, and molecule-to-molecule interactions), anddoping. The ability to design and synthesize molecules and thenintegrate them into organicorganic and inorganicorganic com-

posites provides a unique pathway in the design of materials fornovel devices. Additionally, with the abilities to alter the color ofthe device, fabricate devices on exible substrates, and poten-tially print them in any pattern, OPV cells can be integrated intoexisting building structures and into new commercial products inways impossible for conventional technologies.

A number of key issues must be overcome for the ultimatesuccess of OPV technology. One is the development of redabsorbing molecules to utilize more of the solar spectrum withoutlosing open-circuit potential. It is also necessary to develop opti-mized interfaces at the nanoscale that allow for exciton decom-

position, charge transfer and optimization of the morphology ofthe organic constituent. Additionally, a key materials issue faced

by the organic electronics community in general is the stability

of the organic materials. It is encouraging that, for instance, auto-motive paints contain chromophores that are similar to moleculescommonly used in OPV devices and that organic light-emittingdisplays are demonstrating acceptable lifetimes under high injec-tion currents. Device degradation pathways stem largely fromchanges in morphology, loss of interfacial adhesion, and interdif-fusion of components, as opposed to strictly chemical decompo-sition. Thus, careful design, prudent materials engineering, andimproved encapsulation should substantially improve devicelifetimes. In fact, the issue of encapsulation is important to all PVtechnologies and is becoming an increasingly active area ofresearch. Development of encapsulants that are stable for 1025years with no yellowing and no diffusion of oxygen or water, thathave low initial costs, and that are easy to process is a signicantchallenge. Increasingly, as for the OPV devices themselves,

researchers are considering nanomaterial/polymer compositesfor sealants in which both elements scavenge impurites and slowdiffusion. There are also efforts to develop new polymers withvery little diffusion or photosensitivity to be the top and bottomlayers for exible PV devices.

Third-Generation TechnologiesThe term third-generation photovoltaics originally was

coined to describe an ultimate thin-lm solar cell technology.Features specied included high efciency (derived from operat-ing principles that avoided the constraints upon the performanceof single-junction cells) and the use of abundant, nontoxic, anddurable materials. In general usage, however, the term has beenapplied to any advanced photovoltaic technology ranging fromorganic cells to three-junction multijunction concentrator cells.

The multijunction approach discussed earlier is one of thebest known and most investigated approaches meeting the aim ofimproving on the performance of single-junction cells. Efciencyideally is limited merely by the number of cells in series; how-ever, practical considerations tend to limit devices to betweenthree and ve junctions. Although the best cells do not meet theoriginal denition of third-generation technology because theyare not thin lms and they use toxic and nonabundant materials,these disadvantages are not as severe in solar concentrating sys-tems.23 Such concentrating systems closely resemble solar ther-mal electric systems, particularly dish-Stirling and power towerconcepts, although the photovoltaic conversion unit is simpler, is

potentially more reliable, and now has higher conversion ef-ciencies. (Note that a dish-Stirling system generates power by

using parabolically arranged mirrors to reect sunlight onto a


8/19

RESOURCES SOLAR


small focal receiver, thereby heating a gas chamber connected toa piston and drive shaft. The drive shaft powers a generator that

produces electricity to be distributed to a grid.)The multijunction cell approach is also being extended to

much less expensive and more exploratory materials systems.The approach potentially has the same efciency advantages, forexample, in organic and dye-sensitized solar cells, but in this

case, the difculty is nding a stable, low-bandgap cell that usessimilar/compatible materials. Combinations of these materialswith inorganic cells that have a lower absorption threshold haveworked well, but such devices violate the basic guideline that the

best cells need to be on top in a stacked cell design. Anothermultijunction approach explores the use of quantum connementto increase silicons bandgap and hence allow implementation ofa higher temperature all-silicon tandem cell.24 By embeddingSi quantum dots in a matrix of silicon oxide, nitride, or carbide,an increased optical bandgap has been demonstrated (Figure 12).Transport of photogenerated carriers is determined by dot density

because, the closer the dots, the easier it is for carriers to tunnelbetween them. Stacks of either one or two of these quantum dotcells on top of a thin-lm Si bottom cell have been proposed, with

the effective bandgap of each cell determined by dot size.Figure 13 shows the thermodynamic limiting efciency formultijunction designs as well as a range of other options sug-gested as possible third-generation approaches. For diffuse sun-light, the thermodynamic limit on the terrestrial conversion ofsunlight to electricity is about 74%, although the limit for con-version approaches that are time-symmetric is somewhat lowerat 68%. A multijunction cell with a large number of cells in thestack can theoretically approach this limit, with limiting ef-ciency steadily dropping as the number of cells in the stackdecreases, bottoming out at 31% for a single cell. (The best

single laboratory cells made from Si or GaAs reach about 80%of this limiting efciency.)

Hot-carrier cells also have close to the maximum theoreticalperformance potential. Rather than introducing complexity bystacking a large numbers of cells as in the multijunction approach,hot-carrier designs transfer the complexity to their operating phys-ics (Figure 14). Although hot-carrier cells could be implemented

as simple two-terminal devices and would almost certainly bevery thin because of operating requirements, these requirementsare severe. Unlike conventional cells, where photoexcited carriersquickly thermalize with the cell atomic lattice, a hot-carrier cell hasto be designed so that the carriers are collected before this thermal-ization occurs. This suggests small transport distances and tech-niques for reducing the interaction between the carriers and thehost lattice. Progress in nanostructural engineering aimed at con-trolling lattice vibrational properties might provide some opportu-nities here. Increasing the challenge further is the fact that carefulattention has to be paid to the interface between the hot carriers andthe outside world. Ideally, transfer should occur over only a narrowrange of energies to prevent cooling of the hot carriers, again pro-viding practical challenges. Resonant tunneling through quantum

dots has been suggested as one way of meeting this requirement.Next in efciency in Figure 13 come the thermal approaches.A limiting efciency of 54% applies to diffuse light conversionusing such approaches. For direct sunlight conversion, such asfor the concentrating solar power systems discussed earlier, thislimiting efciency jumps to 85% (but this value applies to onlythe fraction of the available light that is direct). The multiple

processes in series in this case, as well as temperature constraints,limit practical efciencies to only a fraction of this value.

Three other classes of approaches are also included in Figure13. The rst is based on multiple-step excitations between differ-

ent energy levels deliberatelyintroduced into a material. Again,nanostructures are being investi-gated as a means of introducing

different ranges of available ener-gies within a material so that two-step excitations are possible. Thelimiting efciency is identical tothat possible using optical upcon-verters, which could be placed atthe rear of a cell.25 In this case, twolow-energy photons, which arenot able to cause excitations in thecell individually, can be combinedin the upconverter in two-stepexcitation to produce one higherenergy photon, which the cell canuse. There is also some advantagein using down-conversion,26 whereone high-energy photon producestwo (or more) lower energy pho-tons prior to the light entering thecell.

The nal option shown inFigure 13 is impact ionization(see also Figure 15) but alsoincludes multiple exciton gener-ation (MEG), an approach thathas created much recent interest.Evidence for the creation of up toeight excitons from a single pho-ton has been found in PbS, PbSe,PbTe, CdSe, and InAs quantum

dots, with more recent work

1.2

0

5 nm (270 s)

4 nm (240 s) 2 nm (120 s)

100 nm

3 nm (180 s)

Normalized PL Spectra

(25 nm dots; 300 K)

1.4 1.6

Photon Energy (eV)

1.8 2.0

a

b

Figure 12. Silicon quantum dots in an oxide material (micrograph) and resulting photoluminescence

(PL) spectra as a unction o quantum dot diameter. (a) Dierent particle sizes and associated PLwavelengths and (b) high-resolution transmission electron microscope image o the 5-nm particles or

illustration. Numbers in parentheses represent liet ime in microseconds.


9/19

RESOURCES SOLAR


showing MEG in Si quantum dots as well.27 What is now neededis a way of converting these multiple excitons to electronsdoing useful work.

It is clear that new materials, particularly nanomaterials, areclosely linked to current third-generation research efforts. Theexibility offered by nanomaterials in the engineering of criti-cal materials properties might allow for the eventual implemen-

tation of even the more challenging of these approaches.

SummaryAs discussed herein, the solar power industry, both PV and

thermal technologies, is on track to become an increasingly signi-cant component of future global energy supplies. Although theindustry is currently based on Si, ultimately, Si might not be ableto meet long-term cost goals, opening the door to thin lms andsolar thermal conversion. Signicant materials challenges exist forthese technologies as well, but they are nearing manufacturabilityon a large scale, as evidenced in the recent growth of CdTe produc-tion. New high-efciency or low-cost technologies such as multi-

junction and organic-based devices are advancing rapidly andmight have second- and third-generation embodiments. Finally,

new very high-efciency approaches to solar energy conversionoffer the potential in the extended time frame to produce devicesthat can convert much larger portions of the solar spectrum. Giventhe anticipated market growth, nearly all of these approaches willhave to be investigated in parallel to meet the demand.

Given the length of this article, the discussions of varioussolar technologies were of necessity brief, and adequate creditcould not be given to all of the many leading scientists whohave contributed to this eld. For more information, interestedreaders are referred to the works previously cited as well as tothe following resources on specic aspects of solar technologyand the references cited therein: Si and thin-lm inorganic pho-tovoltaics,2831 organic photovoltaics,32,33 third-generation pho-tovoltaics,34,35 and solar thermal electricity.36

Reerences1. Energy Inormation Administration, Annual Energy Review 2003 (EIA,2004; www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/contents.html) (accessed January 2008).2. W. Shockley, H.J. Queisser, J. Appl. Phys. 32 (3), 510 (1961).3. International Electrotechnical Commission, IEC Norm (IEC-904-3, 1989).4. S. Taira, Y. Yoshimine, T. Baba, M. Taguchi, H. Kanno, T. Kinoshita, H.Sakata, E. Maruyama, M. Tanaka, Proceedings o the 22nd EuropeanPhotovoltaic Solar Energy Conerence and Exhibition, Milan, Italy, 4, 932(September 2007).5. M.A. Green, K. Emery, D.L. King, Y. Hishikawa, W. Warta, Prog.Photovoltaics: Res. Appl. 15 (1), 35 (2007).6. T. Surek, J. Cryst. Growth275 (12), 292 (2005).7. R.M. Margolis, Presented at NCPV Solar Program Review Meeting, Denver,CO, 2003.8. D. Eaglesham, First Solar, Inc. Announces 2006 Fourth Quarter and Year-end Financial Results (First Solar, Phoenix, AZ, 2007; http://investor.rstsolar.com/releasedetail.cm?ReleaseID=229824) (accessed January 2008).

9. M.A. Green, Physica E14 (12), 65 (Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2002).10. M.A. Green, Photovoltaics or the 21st Century: Proceedings o theElectrochemical Society200110, 3 (2001).11. A. Slaoui, R.T. Collins, MRS Bull. 32 (3), 211 (2007).12. B. Yan, G. Yue, J.M. Owens, J. Yang, S. Guha, Conerence Record o the2006 IEEE 4th World Conerence on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion,Waikoloa, HI,2, 1477 (2006).13. F. Dimroth, S. Kurtz, MRS Bull. 32 (3), 230 (2007).14. M.A. Contreras, M.J. Romero, R. Nou, Thin Solid Films511512, 51 (2006).15. X. Wu, Solar Energy77 (6), 803 (2004).16. M.A. Contreras, B. Egaas, K. Ramanathan, J. Hiltner, A. Swartzlander,F. Hasoon, R. Nou, Prog. Photovoltaics: Res. Appl. 7 (4), 311 (1999).17. J. AbuShama, R. Nou, Y. Yan, K. Jones, B. Keyes, P. Dippo, M. Romero,M. Al-Jassim, J. Alleman, D.L. Williamson, Cu(In,Ga)Se2Thin-Film EvolutionDuring Growth rom (In,Ga)2Se3Precursors(Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. Vol.668, Warrendale, PA, 2001).18. A. Romeo, M. Terheggen, D. Abou-Ras, D.L. Batzner, F.J. Haug, M. Kalin,

D. Rudmann, A.N. Tiwari, Prog. Photovoltaics: Res. Appl. 12 (23), 93 (2004).

Figure 13. Third-generation options and thermodynamic limits on their

eciency. Upconverters include multi-excitonic approaches. Note:n is

the number o cells in the stack.

circulators

hot carriertandem (n = 6)thermal, thermoPV, thermionics

tandem (n = 3)

impurity PV & band, upconverters

impact ionization

tandem (n = 2)

down-converters

single cell

tandem (n)

Figure 14. Hot-carrier cell schematic. Special properties are required

or both the absorption volume and the carrier collection contacts.

Figure 15. Impact ionization whereby more than one carrier pair iscreated by an incident photon (let), leading to the ideal internal

quantum eciency (IQE) as a unction o excitation wavelength (G)

(right).


10/19

RESOURCES SOLAR


19. S.E. Shaheen, D.S. Ginley, G.E. Jabbour, MRS Bull. 30 (1), 10 (2005).20. G. Collins, Sci. Am. 74 (2004).21. D.M. de Leeuw, Phys. World12 (3), 31 (1999).22. S.E. Shaheen, R. Radspinner, N. Peyghambarian, G.E. Jabbour, Appl.Phys. Lett. 79 (18), 2996 (2001).23. G. Hering, Photon Int. 10, 92 (2006).24. M.A. Green, in Future Trends in Microelectronics: Up to Nano Creek, S. Luryi,J. Xu, A. Zaslavsky, Eds. (Wiley Interscience, New York, 2007), p. 391.25. T. Trupke, M.A. Green, P. Wurel, J. Appl. Phys. 92 (7), 4117 (2002).26. T. Trupke, M.A. Green, P. Wurel, J. Appl. Phys. 92 (3), 1668 (2002).27. M.C. Beard, K.P. Knutsen, P. Yu, J.M. Luther, Q. Song, W.K. Metzger, R.J.Ellingson, A.J. Nozik, Nano Lett. 7 (8), 2506 (2007).

28. R.W. Miles, G. Zoppi, I. Forbes, Mater. Today10 (11), 20 (2007).29. R. Messenger, D.Y. Goswami, H.M. Upadhyaya, T.M. Razykov, A.N. Tiwari,R. Winston, R. McConnell, in Energy Conversion, D. Yogi Goswami, F. Kreith,Eds. (CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2007), p. 20.30. M. Green, J. Mater. Sci. 18 (Suppl. 1), S15 (2007).31. MRS Bull. 32 (3), (2007).32. A.J. Mozer, N.S. Saricitci, in Handbook o Conducting Polymers, T.A. Skotheim,John Reynolds, Eds. (CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, ed. 3, 2007), vol. 2, p. 10.33. MRS Bull. 30 (1), (2005).34. G. Conibeer, Mater. Today10 (11), 42 (2007).35. A. Luque, A. Marti, A.J. Nozik, MRS Bull. 32 (3), 236 (2007).36. D. Mills, Solar Energy76 (13), 19 (2004).

CSPs Great Potential

Photovoltaics is not the only means of using sunlight to gener-ate electricity. Another major solar technology is called concen-trating solar power or CSP. CSP technologies use concentratingoptics to generate high temperatures that are used to drive con-ventional steam or gas turbines. CSP is generally considered acentral generation technology, rather than a source of distributedgeneration. That is, a large amount of power is generated in onelocation, with transmission and distribution to the various pointsof use, rather than generating small amounts of the power atnumerous points of use. Because of this feature, CSP is predomi-nantly a utility-scale source of power.

A 2005 study commissioned by the Western GovernorsAssociation (WGA) looked at the solar resource and suitableavailable land in seven southwestern U.S. states (California,Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas)and calculated a capability of generating up to 6,800 gigawatts(GW) using CSP technologiesalmost seven times the currentelectric generating capacity of the entire United States. It should

be noted that this Geographic Information Systems (GIS) anal-ysis determined optimal CSP sites with high economic potential

by excluding regions in urban or sensitive areas (e.g., nationalparks), regions with low solar resource (e.g., those with insuf-cient hours of daily direct-normal radiation), and regionswhere terrain would inhibit the cost-effective deployment oflarge-scale plants (e.g., terrain that had more than a degree ortwo of slope). Other factors considered included land owner-ship, road access, local transmission infrastructure capabilities,and state policies and regulations. The WGA study found that,with a build out of only 24 GW of CSP, the technology will becompetitive with conventional natural-gas-red combined-cycle plants with a cost of less than $0.10 per kilowatt-hour.With increasing capacity and further research and developmentin thermal storage, CSP can be competitive with future coal-

based generation, especially when considering the cost andperformance impact of carbon constraints on future plants.

However, the southwestern United States is not the only areawith great potential for CSP. Projects are under way in Spain and

Northern Africa (e.g., Egypt, Algeria, and Morocco), with addi-tional projects planned for Israel, the Middle East, NorthernMexico, and Australia. In total, over 40 utility-scale CSP plants

are in construction or under various stages of developmentworldwide. These projects will lead to signicant deployment inother regions with high solar resources, which includes areaswith extended periods of sunny skies and relatively few clouds.

Three Basic CSP SystemsThe three main types of concentrating solar power systems

are parabolic trough systems, dish/engine systems, and powertower systems. Variants of these systems are also being consid-ered, such as the compact linear Fresnel reector system, whichuses at, rather than parabolic, mirrors with a Fresnel lens to

concentrate the solar thermal energy.Parabolic trough systems concentrate the suns energy

through long, rectangular, curved mirrors (see Figure 1). Themirrors are tilted toward the sun, focusing sunlight on a receiver,

Another Pathway to Large-Scale Power Generation:

Concentrating Solar Power

Mark Mehos (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, USA)

Figure 1. Aerial photograph o Accionas Nevada Solar One,

a 64 MW parabolic trough power plant near Las Vegas,Nevada, that covers 280 acres (Credit: Acciona Solar Power).

Inset: Closeup o an individual parabolic trough unit atKramer Junction, Caliornia, showing the curved mirror and

the receiver (Credit: Henry Price).


11/19

RESOURCES SOLAR


which is a special tube that runs along the focal line of thetrough, with heating oil owing through the receiver. The hotoil is then used to boil water in a conventional steam generatorto produce electricity. Alternatively, water can be boiled directlyin the receiver using a direct-steam receiver. As with towers,

parabolic trough systems can use thermal storage, thus giving

the systems the exibility to dispatch electricity coincident withpeak utility loads, which often occur late in the evening.Currently, parabolic trough systems are the most commerciallydeveloped technology, but the other technologies are also start-ing to see commercial deployment.

A dish/engine system uses a mirrored dish, similar to a verylarge satellite dish. The dish-shaped surface collects and concen-trates the suns heat onto a receiver, which absorbs the heat andtransfers it to a gas within a Stirling engine (i.e., a closed-cycleregenerative hot-air engine) or gas turbine. The heat allows thegas to expand against a piston (Stirling engine) or power a tur-

bine to produce mechanical power. The mechanical power isthen used to run a generator or alternator to produce electricity.

A power tower system uses a large eld of mirrors to concen-

trate sunlight onto the top of a tower, where a receiver is located.This focused sunlight heats a working uid such as molten salt orwater/steam owing through the receiver. Similar to oil in a para-

bolic trough receiver, the salt in a tower receiver is used to gener-ate steam (using heat exchangers) to generate electricity througha conventional steam generator. Molten salt can be stored in tanks,allowing separation of the collection of solar energy from the gen-eration of electricity. This is an important consideration for manyareas of the U.S. southwest, where the peak utility loads oftenoccur after the sun has set in the evening. Future low-cost storageoptions should allow both troughs and towers to operate as base-load plants, potentially displacing coal-based generation.

Energy, Security, and Environmental Benetso CSP

As CSP generates electricity, it also generates signicantbenets related to energy, security, and the environment. First,as the WGA study determined, CSP can provide a huge capacityof electrical generation within the southwest U.S states. Thisutility-scale power is generally considered intermediate-loadgeneration (capacity factors in the range of 3070%), althoughadvances in thermal storage as mentioned previously will pro-vide baseload status in the future. Second, the fuel for thesesystems is sunlighta domestic resource in all countries.Therefore, CSP technologies bolster energy security by notrequiring imported fuel and decreasing the use of other conven-tional fuel sources such as coal and natural gas. Finally, theenvironmental impact of CSP is also low, both in the manufac-turing of the systems and during normal operations.

Materials-Related CSP IssuesThe main challenges related to materials research and devel-

opment (R&D) are in the areas of optical materials (i.e., absorb-ers and reectors) and heat-transfer/storage uids. In advancedabsorber materials, the important factors are high absorbtivity,low emissivity, and good performance at high temperatures. Inadvanced reectors, key factors are high reectivity, high dura-

bility, and low cost.One way to reduce the cost of parabolic trough technology

is to increase the operating temperature of the solar eld from400C to 500C or higher. Therefore, a materials-related chal-lenge is to develop new, more efcient selective coatings for theabsorbers that have both high solar absorbances and low ther-mal emittances at 500C. Moreover, although the absorbers are

likely to be used in an evacuated environment, the coatingsneed to be stable in air in case the vacuum is breached.

Selective absorber surface coatings can be categorized asintrinsic, semiconductormetal tandems, multilayer absorbers,metaldielectric composite coatings, textured surfaces, or selec-tively solar-transmitting coatings on a blackbody-like absorber.

Intrinsic absorbers use a material having intrinsic properties thatresult in the desired spectral selectivity. Semiconductormetaltandems absorb short-wavelength radiation because of the semi-conductor bandgap and have low thermal emittance as a resultof the metal layer. Multilayer absorbers use multiple reections

between layers to absorb light and can be tailored to be efcientselective absorbers. Metaldielectric compositescermetsconsist of ne metal particles in a dielectric or ceramic hostmaterial. Textured surfaces can produce high solar absorbances

by multiple reections among needlelike, dendritic, or porousmicrostructures. Additionally, selectively solar-transmittingcoatings on a blackbody-like absorber are also used but are typi-cally found only in low-temperature applications. To achieve thestated properties of high absorbance and low emittance at high

temperatures, CSP research has focused on multilayer cermets.For reectors, environmental concerns are causing research-ers to explore new designs for manufacturing mirrors. For exam-

ple, some scientists are studying thin-glass mirrors withcopper-free reective surfaces that use lead-free paints. This

basic mirror construction is radically different from the historicalconstructions, and outdoor durability must be determined andany problems mitigated to achieve a commercially viable prod-uct. Scientists are also developing mirrors using a silvered poly-mer commercial laminate construction. Another option isfront-surface reectors that use a silvered substrate protected byan alumina hardcoat deposited under high vacuum by ion-beam-assisted deposition. All of these reectors must be able to be pro-duced at low cost and must maintain high specular reectance forlifetimes of 1030 years under severe outdoor conditions.

Further materials R&D is also needed in thermal energy stor-age, which includes developing advanced thermal storage mate-rials and improving heat-transfer uids. Note that the electricitygenerated by CSP can be stored in technologies discussed else-where in thisMRS Bulletin issue, such as batteries and ywheels(see the article and accompanying sidebar by Whittingham).However, storage in the realm of CSP specically refers to effec-tively storing thermalenergy in the system, which is much moreefcient and cost effective than other forms of storage at thistime. This stored thermal energy can then be used to generateelectricity at a later time, when the solar resource may not beavailable. Materials with improved heat-capacity characteristicswill extend the storage capabilities and overall generating ef-ciency of CSP systems.

Castable ceramic and high-temperature concrete are beingtested for solid-media, sensible-heat storage systems (i.e., sys-tems in which the addition or removal of heat results in a changein temperature). Other scientists are pursuing the developmentof improved phase-change materials such as high-temperaturenitrate salts to allow large amounts of energy to be stored inrelatively small volumes (for example, see the article and side-

bar by Judkoff and Boneld, respectively, in this issue).For further information on CSP technology, the interested

reader can consult References 17.

Reerences1. D.M. Blake, L. Moens, D. Rudnicki, H. Pilath, J. Solar Energy Eng. 128 (1),54 (2006).2. U. Hermann, D. Kearney, J. Solar Energy Eng. 124 (2), 145 (2002).


12/19

RESOURCES SOLAR


3. C.E. Kennedy, Review o Mid- to High-Temperature Solar SelectiveAbsorber Materials (NREL Report TP-520-31267, NREL, Golden, CO, 2002;www.nrel.gov/csp/troughnet/pds/31267.pd ) (accessed January 2008).4. C.E. Kennedy, H. Price, Solar Engineering 2005: Proceedings o the 2005International Solar Energy Conerence (ISEC2005), 612 August 2005,Orlando, Florida (NREL Report CP-520-36997, American Society oMechanical Engineers, New York, 2006; www.nrel.gov/csp/troughnet/

pds/36997.pd) p. 749 (accessed January 2008).

5. C. Kennedy, K. Terwilliger, M. Milbourne, Development and Testing oSolar Refectors (NREL Report CP-520-36582, NREL, Golden, CO, 2005;www.nrel.gov/docs/y050stiy05osti/36582.pd) (accessed January 2008).6. L. Moens, D. Blake, Advanced Heat Transer and Thermal Storage Fluids(NREL Report CP-510-37083, NREL, Golden, CO, 2005; www.nrel.gov/docs/y050stiy05osti/37083.pd) (accessed January 2008).7. R.G. Reddy, Z. Zhang, M.F. Arenas, D.M. Blake, High Temp. Mater. Processes22

(2), 87 (2003).

Introduction

The eld of thermoelectricity began in the early 1800s withthe discovery of the thermoelectric effect by Thomas Seebeck.1Seebeck found that, when the junctions of two dissimilar materi-als are held at different temperatures (T), a voltage (V) is gen-erated that is proportional to T. The proportionality constant isthe Seebeck coefcient or thermopower: = V/T. When thecircuit is closed, this couple allows for direct conversion of ther-mal energy (heat) to electrical energy. The conversion efciency,TE, is related to a quantity called the gure of merit, ZT, that isdetermined by three main material parameters: the thermopower, the electrical resistivity , and the thermal conductivity .Heat is carried by both electrons (e) and phonons (ph), and= e + ph. The quantityZTitself is dened as

ZT

T

k k=

+( )

2

e ph (1)

where is the electrical conductivity. In addition, the thermo-electric efciency, TE, is given by

h hTE C

ZT

ZTT

T

=+

+ +

1 1

1C

H

(2)

where C is the Carnot efciency,C = (THTC)/TH and TH andT

Care the hot and cold temperatures, respectively. Thus, a sig-

nicant difference in temperature (large T) is also needed togenerate sufcient electrical energy, and the infrared (IR) regionof the solar spectrum can supply the needed hot temperature,TH. This is important because IR radiation generates only wasteheat in conventional semiconductor-based solar photovoltaiccells.

It was not until the mid-1900s, when semiconductor materi-als research became prevalent, that thermoelectric materialsand devices became more important.2,3 Semiconducting materi-als permit band tuning and control of the carrier concentration,thus allowing optimization of a given set of materials. A ther-moelectric couple is made up ofn-type andp-type materials,and in a thermoelectric device, many of these couples are thenconnected electrically in series and thermally in parallel. The

thermal-to-electric energy conversion is a solid-state conver-

sion process that is quiet, has no mechanical parts, and provideslong-term stability. Thermoelectric devices can be used eitherfor cooling (Peltier effect) or for power generation (Seebeckeffect).4 Thus, heat (typically waste heat) can be converteddirectly into useful electrical energy. Thermoelectric materialsand devices was the theme topic of the March 2006 issue of

MRS Bulletin, and readers are referred to the articles therein formore detail.4

Current thermoelectric materials, as shown in Figure 1,haveZT= 1, and new materials withZTvalues of 23 are soughtto provide the desired conversion efciencies. The currentmaterials exhibit conversion efciencies of 78% depending onthe specic materials and the temperature differences involved.With regard to solar energy conversion, thermoelectric deviceswill likely utilize the IR spectrum of solar radiation as shown

in Figures 2 and 3. For example, a thermoelectric power con-version device withZT= 3 operating between 500C and 30C(room temperature) would yield about 50% of the Carnot ef-ciency. As shown in Figure 4,5 a value ofZT>4 does not sig-

Thermoelectrics: Direct Solar Thermal Energy

Conversion

Terry M. Tritt (Clemson University, USA), Harald Bttner (Fraunhoer Institut r Physikalische

Mebtechnik, Germany), and Lidong Chen (China Academy o Sciences, China)

2

1.5

1

0.5

00 200 400 600 800

Temperature (K)

AgPbm

SbTe2+m

Zn4Sb3

Bi2Te3

Si1xGex

PbTe

Yb14MnSb11

CeFe4xCoxSb12

Yb0.19Co4Sb12

CsBi4Te6

ZT:Figure

ofMerit

1000 1200 1400

Figure 1. Figure o merit (ZT) as a unction o temperature

or several high-eciency bulk thermoelectric materials.


13/19

RESOURCES SOLAR


nicantly increase the conversion efciency over that of amaterial withZT= 23.5 Therefore, we believe that the HolyGrail of thermoelectric materials research is to nd bulk mate-rials (both n-type andp-type) with aZTvalue on the order of23 (efciency = 1520%) with low parasitic losses (e.g., con-tact resistance, radiation effects, and interdiffusion of the met-als) and low manufacturing costs. With respect to solar energy,these materials would need to operate at about 1000 K (700C).The solar energy conversion process could be envisioned asshown in Figure 3, where a high-efciency solar collector turnsthe sunlight (from the IR spectrum) into heat that is then trans-formed by the thermoelectric devices into usable electricity. Inaddition, the solar energy could be stored in a thermal bath andtransformed into electricity through thermoelectrics when thesun was not shining.

Thermoelectric ApplicationsThermoelectric applications are broad. Thermoelectric

materials had their rst decisive long-term test with the start ofintensive deep-space research. During the Apollo mission, ther-moelectric materials were responsible for the power supply, andcurrently, radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) are the

power supplies (350 W) used in deep-space missions beyondMars. Recently, the Cassini satellite was launched with threeRTGs using 238Pu as the thermal energy source and SiGe as the

thermoelectric conversion material.5 Smaller self-powered sys-tems such as thermoelectric-powered radios were rst mentionedin Russia around 1920; a thermoelectric climate-control systemin a 1954 Chrysler automobile shows the scope of this technol-ogy. Currently, millions of thermoelectric climate-controlledseats that serve as both seat coolers and seat warmers are beinginstalled in luxury cars. In addition, millions of thermoelectriccoolers are used to provide cold beverages. Even wristwatchesmarketed by Seiko and Citizen and biothermoelectric pacemak-ers are being powered by the very small temperature differenceswithin the body or between a body and its surroundings.

Thermoelectric materials were previously used primarily inniche applications, but with the advent of broader automotiveapplications and the effort to utilize waste-heat-recovery tech-nologies, thermoelectric devices are becoming more prominent.The rising costs of fossil fuels have helped spawn a program

between the Energy Efciency and Renewable Energy ofce ofthe U.S. Department of Energy and several automotive manu-facturers to incorporate thermoelectric waste-heat-recoverytechnology in the design of heavy trucks. Indeed, without suchsystems, more than 60% of the primary energy of fossil fuels islost worldwide as unusable waste energy; the loss is as high as70% in some automobiles.

This eld of thermoelectrics also covers forthcoming appli-cations and markets for remote self-powered systems forwireless data communications in the microwatt power range, aswell as automotive systems and deep-space probes in the inter-mediate range of hundreds of watts. Researchers hope to pro-duce systems of several kilowatts using waste heat energy from

Wavelengthsegregator IR (8003000 nm)

Heat collector

Cooling

Thermoelectric generator(T>500C)Solar cell

(T


14/19

RESOURCES SOLAR


stand-alone woodstoves and also transform the huge amountsof waste energy from industrial furnaces and power plants.

The Future o Thermoelectric MaterialsThe future expansion of thermoelectric energy conversion

technologies is tied primarily to enhanced materials perfor-

mance along with better thermal management design. The bestthermoelectric material should behave as a so-called phononglasselectroncrystal; that is, it should minimally scatter elec-trons, as in a crystalline material, whereas it should highly scatter

phonons, as in an amorphous material. Materials researchers arenow investigating several systems of materials including typicalnarrow-bandgap semiconductors (half-Heusler alloys), oxides,and cage-structure materials (skutterudites and clathrates).4More exotic structures that exhibit reduced dimensionality andnanostructures have been the focus of much recent research,including superlattices, quantum dots, and nanodot bulk materi-als. Also, recent progress in nanocomposites, mixtures of nano-materials in a bulk matrix, has generated much interest and hopefor these materials.4 The emerging eld of these thermoelectric

nanocomposites appears to be one of the most promising recentresearch directions. Such nanocomposites could allow for higherZTvalues by reducing thermal conductivity while maintainingfavorable electronic properties. With new higher efciencymaterials, the eld of harvesting waste energy through thermo-electric devices will become more prevalent.

The most stable, long-term, and readily available worldwideenergy source is that of solar energy. The issue has always been

low-cost transformation and storage. Other alternative energytechnologies such as fuel cells, wind energy, and thermoelec-trics will provide some assistance in meeting our future energyneeds. Many hybrid systems will be needed, and thermoelec-trics is able to work in tandem with many of these other tech-nologies, especially solar as it can use the heat source provided

by solar radiation. Over the past decade, thermoelectric materi-als have been developed with ZTvalues that are a factor of 2larger than those of previous materials. Another 50% increaseinZT(toZT 3) with the appropriate material characteristicsand costs will position thermoelectrics to be a signicant con-tributor to our energy needs, especially in waste heat or solarenergy conversion. The likelihood of achieving these goalsappears to be within reach in the next several years. Furthermore,some contribution from many of these alternative energy tech-nologies such as thermoelectrics will be needed in order to ful-ll the worlds future energy needs.

Reerences1. T.J. Seebeck, Abh. K. Akad. Wiss. 265 (Berlin, 1823).

2. A.F. Ioe, Semiconductor Thermoelements and Thermoelectric Cooling(Inosearch, London, 1957).3. H.J. Goldsmid, R.W. Douglas, Br. J. Appl. Phys. 5, 386 (1954).4. T.M. Tritt, M.A. Subramanian, MRS Bull. 31 (3), 188 (2006); six articlesand all reerences therein.5. J. Yang, T. Caillat, MRS Bull. 31 (3), 224 (2006).6. S. Maneewan, J. Hirunlabh, J. Khedari, B. Zeghmati, S. Teekasap, SolarEnergy78, 495 (2005).

The World Bank estimates that over two billion people onthe planet live their daily lives without access to basic, reliableelectric services.1 Rural populations in Africa, Latin America,Asia, and island nations need clean water, health services, com-munications, and light at night. Small, simple, solar electricsystems are part of the solutionincreasing the quality of life,often at a cost that is less than what is presently being spent forkerosene, dry-cell batteries, and the recharging of automotive

batteries that must be lugged to the nearest town on a weeklybasis (see Figure 1).

Better technology through advanced materials can reducecosts and improve both the performance and reliability ofsolar electric systems, but in the eld, nothing is mainte -nance-free. A loose connection or a dry battery can quicklydisable the most sophisticated system. The success of solarsystems in remote areas depends not only on competitive cost,

but also on the human infrastructure needed to deploy andmaintain the systems. Work over the past two decades in pilotdeployments of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems has high-lighted a few issues that must be addressed if solar PV is to

provide the promise of cost-effective, reliable energy solu-tions in remote regions.2

Of-Grid Solar or Rural Development

Wole Soboyejo (Princeton University, USA) and Roger Taylor (National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

USA)

Figure 1. In the village o Irapura, Ceara, Brazil, homes were tted with

50 W solar panels or night lighting, television, and radio. A battery

stores electricity generated by the solar panel or use at night.(Photograph by Roger Taylor.)


15/19

RESOURCES SOLAR


Although PV panels are close to maintenance-free, PVsystems are not; therefore, a maintenance support infrastructureneeds to be established and nurtured. This issue must be addressedfrom the very conception of a project. This support infrastructureneed not be complex, but it does need to be functional andappropriate for the size, complexity, and sophistication of the

systems deployed. A training program with documentation thatis matched to the local capabilities, regular refresher courses,

planning for personnel turnover, a spare-parts inventory, compo-nent resupply, and funds for preventive and problem mainte-nance must all be addressed.

In small stand-alone systems for homes, schools, healthclinics, water pumping, and other applications, strong effortsneed to be made to decouple the concepts of electricity salesmeasured in pennies per kilowatt-hour from fee-for-servicemonthly payments. Many rural customers are already paying$515/month for basic energy services that can be better metwith stand-alone renewable energy systems (and without sub-sidies). It is often difcult to convince electric utilities and otherlocal ofcials to think about an energy-services approach where

customers pay a at fee-for-servicefor lighting, refrigeration,or communications, for exampleinstead of a per-unit priceper metered kilowatt-hour.

Rural electrication generally consists of power lineextension or diesel mini-grids based on an annual budget forinstallations. The concept of life-cycle cost analysis, whichequitably compares capital-intensive versus operating-expense-intensive technologies, is still uncommon in smallconsumer transactions. The concept of life-cycle costingneeds to be integrated into the training of ofcials chargedwith rural electrication.

Energy-efcient end-use applications/appliances are criticalto economically sized renewable energy systems. Investing inenergy efciency has much more economic value than addinggeneration capacity to meet the demand of inefcient appli-

ances. It is important that a complete systems-engineeringapproach be maintained, attempting to deliver the best end-useservice for the least overall system life-cycle cost.

The most important factor for successful implementation isa supportive, positive attitude by the rural electrication of-cials. The existence of a champion for solar-based rural electri-cation, who is in a position of authority, is required to maintainmomentum during and after installation. There is no substitutefor a dedicated, inuential, local champion.

In order to sustain a newly implemented rural electricitysystem, an administrative system needs to be developed andsustained. Many rural villages have formed cooperatives forshing, agriculture, and other economic development activi-ties. The specic electricity administrative solution will beregional or village-dependent or both. Although a number ofmodels have been successful, care is needed in matching theadministrative system to the village social dynamics.

Renewable energy solutions for village power applicationscan be economical, functional, and sustainable. Pilot projectsare an appropriate step in the development of a commerciallyviable market for renewable rural solutions. Moreover, a sig-nicant number of rural electrication projects are under waythat employ various technologies, delivery mechanisms, andnancing arrangements. These projects, if properly evaluatedand communicatedso that their lessons are incorporated infuture projects and programscan lead the way to a future thatincludes a robust opportunity for cost-effective, renewables-

based village power systems, bringing modern electric servicesto rural populations at a cost that is competitive with or less than

those of both central-station generation and stationary dieselgenerators.

In an effort to explore the sustainable application of solarenergy in rural settings, a number of applications have beenexplored recently by the U.S./Africa Materials Institute(USAMI) at Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, and

the Global Development Network (GDN), based in New Delhi,India. These include community-based solar energy approachesat an ecotourism lodge in Il Motiok, Kenya; rural electricationof the Aang Serian School in Eluai village, Monduli District,Tanzania; and a solar refrigeration project for cooling and pre-serving vaccines during transportation to remote and rural partsof Kenya that cannot be reached by land rover. The last projectwas undertaken in close collaboration with the Art CenterCollege of Design, Pasadena, California. In all cases, the proj-ects have been designed to provide electricity to people livingon less than a dollar a day. Hence, sustainability was consideredcarefully in the design and installation of the systems.

In the case of the ecotourism lodge in Il Motiok (Figure 2),a community-based solar system was provided to a womens

group that had set up an ecotourism lodge to attract local andinternational tourists to a remote off-grid region in the Laikipiadistrict in Kenya. The solution involved the use of high-ef-ciency crystalline solar cells, a charge controller, and twolocally made 100 amp-hours (Ah) deep-cycle batteries thatwere used to develop a small station for the charging of solarlanterns (light-emitting devices or LEDs). Each charge wasfound to provide up to ve days of lighting for local families inthe local village. The lanterns were also used by guests whocome largely from Europe and North America to enjoy thewildlife and local culture in the Laikipia plateau. The system issustainable because the local people derive income from theecotourism lodge. They also charge a small fee to charge cell

phones that are now a common feature of life in most parts ofrural Africa. Above all, the local managers of the charging sta-

tion were trained in solar maintenance and installation after thesystem was installed. This provided a much better alternative todriving 2 h to the nearest town, Nanyuki, to charge the solarlanterns and cell phones for local use.

Figure 2. Solar-powered light-emitting devices that provide ve days

o light ater each charge at the Ol Gaboli Community Lodge, an

ecotourism lodge in Il Motiok, Kenya.


16/19

RESOURCES SOLAR


The experience of theNoonkodin Secondary School,which is run by the Aang SerianCommunity, is also of someinterest. This is a school that wasestablished to provide high

school education to the nomadicMaasai and Hazabe peoplewithin the context of their localcultures and indigeneous knowl-edge. Photovoltaic systems(Figure 3) were installed to pro-vide electricity to the boardinghouse, classrooms, and homes ofthe teachers and headmaster. Thelocal people and the staff at theschool were also trained to main-tain the system, which providedrural electrication for the rsttime to the people of the village.

As income is earned from theschool, the system can be main-tained to provide for the long-term electricity needs of the school and the local community.

In the area of global health, solar energy provides a crucialmeans of preserving vaccines in rural off-grid areas. Because ofthe high energy consumption associated with refrigeration,novel system designs are needed to develop sustainable solu-tions for transporting vaccines to places that cannot be reached

by the most rugged of land rovers. In such cases, the vaccinesare often transported on camels on missions that can last up toseven days. In the case of the Mpala Clinic in Mpala, Kenya, asmall group of nurses and local doctors provides healthcare to a

population of about 150,000 people. Much of the community-based care and vaccination of children, therefore, requires the

preservation of vaccines. This motivated the development of asolar-powered refrigeration system that is powered by both ex-ible and rigid solar cells (Figure 4). The system, which includesa special camel saddle, was designed jointly by a team from theArt Center College of Design and the USAMI researchers.

Larger scale rural electrication programs have been carried outby the Solar Electric Company of India (SELCO). This companyhas worked with banks to provide nancing schemes to enable rural

people to pay for solar systems in remote villages. Such approacheshave enabled village economies to grow through stimulation ofnighttime trading by the provision of solar electrication. They havealso enabled off-grid rural people to enjoy the benets of solarenergy at rates that can be sustained by the local economies. Thishas been sufcient to stimulate the sustained growth of SELCO formore than a decade.

Similar models are being explored in Nigeria, where a recentcollaboration between the U.S. and Nigerian academies of sci-ence has investigated the concepts that could stimulate theestablishment of science-based industries in Nigeria. Funded

by the Gates Foundation as a pilot program, the group of U.S.and Nigerian scientists worked with local entrepreneurs, gov-ernment representatives, and academics to explore the feasibil-ity of establishing an off-grid solar company that could provideenergy in an environment where power cuts are frequent in theurban areas, and often unavailable in the rural areas.

The U.S./Nigerian study essentially recognizes that thelong-term viability of such off-grid solar companies requiresthe connection of solar energy to a successful business model.Furthermore, the business model must include nancing

schemes through banks or community savings groups; socialentrepreneurship by local companies; the integration of main-tenance costs into the nancing and sales agreements; and thedevelopment of local technical expertise that can install, main-tain, and replace these systems over the projected system life ofabout 20 years.

Although these examples show how current solar energy tech-nologies are improving the lives of off-grid rural and rural/urban

people, much work is needed to develop the materials technolo-gies that could dramatically reduce the costs of solar energy. In theshort term, the lowest cost per kilowatt-hour can be achieved bythe use of amorphous solar energy systems provided by thin-lmdeposition technologies.2,3 However, the currentvoltage charac-teristics of these systems are often designed to provide relativelylow currents (about 1 A). Hence, it is often necessary to have agreater number of amorphous solar cells (than crystalline solarcells) to provide the required amount of charge.

In the medium to long term, there is much hope that the so-called balance of system costs could be reduced by advances in

battery and charge controller technologies, as well as the devel-

a b

Figure 3. Solar electric power at the Aang Serian Community School in the village o Eluai in MonduliDistrict, Tanzania: (a) crystalline silicon solar cells on the roo o one o the school buildings and (b) solar

lanterns (light-emitting devices) and compact disc players powered by deep-cycle batteries at theschool.

Figure 4. Solar-powered rerigerator or vaccine storage andpreservation during transportation on camels to remote areas.

(Courtesy o Patrick Kiruki and Marianne Armatullo o the Art CenterCollege o Design, Pasadena, Caliornia.)

28 in.

Solar panel

Steel support rod

Flexible

aluminumframe

Steel support rod

20in

.

24 in.16 in.

Leather support

strap

Aluminumbars forattachingand tyingsupplies


17/19

RESOURCES SOLAR


opment of organic electronic structures that could provide thepotential for low-cost solar energy. In the long term, suchadvances have the potential to reduce the cost of solar cells by afactor of 10. Such a reduction could greatly facilitate the globalapplications of solar energy in both the developed and the devel-oping world. However, additional research is needed to improve

the efciencies of the solar cells and the stability of the organicelectronic structures for rural and urban electrication (Figure5).4 Ongoing materials research efforts in this area are motivated

by issues related to charge transport across bilayers and bulkheterojunctions and polymer/interfacial stability. This is espe-cially true for organic solar cells and organic light-emittingdevices, which are essentially solar cells run in reverse.

Before closing, it is important to note that recent advancesin research have resulted in a rapid increase in the efcienciesof organic solar cells from about 1% to 6%.5 If the current trendcontinues, it is likely that organic electronic structures couldsoon become competitive alternatives to commercial silicon-

based solar cells that have efciencies between 5% and 15%.This has motivated an integrated research effort in the global

materials community.

AcknowledgmentsW.O.S. acknowledges the nancial support of USAMI

through a grant from the Division of Materials Research (DMR0231418) of the National Science Foundation. Appreciation isextended to the Program Manager, Dr. Carmen Huber, for herencouragement and support.

Reerences1. Improving Lives: World Bank Group Progress on Renewable Energy andEnergy Efciency in Fiscal Year 2006(World Bank Group, Washington, DC,December 2006).2. M. Hankins, Solar

solar energy conversion toward 1 terawatt

Documents