Tandem self-powered photovoltaic-electrochromic window coatings
- National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)
Wide-gap, transparent amorphous silicon based photovoltaics can be integrated with electrochromic materials to produce a self-powered ``smart`` window coating. Existing electrochromic window designs external electrical connection, which may be economically unfeasible. This problem is solved by the tandem photovoltaic-electrochromic (PV/EC) device, in which a wide-gap amorphous silicon-based alloy (a-SiC:H) photovoltaic device is deposited together with an electrochromic optical transmittance modulator in a monolithic device on a single substrate. In this paper, the authors discuss their proposed monolithic photovoltaic-electrochromic device. They also present studies of transparent, wide-gap (Tauc gap of 1.8 to 2.2 eV) amorphous silicon-carbon thin films and p-i-n devices designed for use in the photovoltaic-electrochromic device. The photovoltaic cells in the PV-EC can operate at low current (<1 mA/cm{sup 2}) because a total injected charge of only 60 {micro}C/cm{sup 2} will darken the EC layer to a visible transmission of 5%, but they will need a high open-circuit voltage (>1.0 V) and high transparency ({approx}70%). They describe the progress toward these design targets.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-83CH10093
- OSTI ID:
- 197602
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950793-; ISBN 0-8194-1890-0; TRN: IM9612%%376
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 40. annual meeting of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, San Diego, CA (United States), 9-14 Jul 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Optical materials technology for energy efficiency and solar energy conversion XIV; Lampert, C.M. [ed.] [Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States). Energy and Environment Div.]; Deb, S.K. [ed.] [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)]; Grandqvist, C.G. [ed.] [Uppsala Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Technology]; PB: 379 p.; Proceedings/SPIE, Volume 2531
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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