Raising the Efficiency Ceiling with Multijunction III-V Concentrator Photovoltaics
In this paper, we look at the question 'how high can solar cell efficiency go?' from both theoretical and experimental perspectives. First-principle efficiency limits are analyzed for some of the main candidates for high-efficiency multijunction terrestrial concentrator cells. Many of these cell designs use lattice-mismatched, or metamorphic semiconductor materials in order to tune subcell band gaps to the solar spectrum. Minority-carrier recombination at dislocations is characterized in GaInAs inverted metamorphic solar cells, with band gap ranging from 1.4 to 0.84 eV, by light I-V, electron-beam-induced current (EBIC), and cathodoluminescence (CL). Metamorphic solar cells with a 3-junction GaInP/ GaInAs/ Ge structure were the first cells to reach over 40% efficiency, with an independently confirmed efficiency of 40.7% (AM1.5D, low-AOD, 240 suns, 25 C). The high efficiency of present III-V multijunction cells now in high-volume production, and still higher efficiencies of next-generation cells, is strongly leveraging for low-cost terrestrial concentrator PV systems.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Solar Energy Technologies Program
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 1022385
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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