Low-Cost CdTe/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells

Tamboli, Adele C.; Bobela, David C.; Kanevce, Ana; Remo, Timothy; Alberi, Kirstin; Woodhouse, Michael

doi:10.1109/JPHOTOV.2017.2737361

Title: Low-Cost CdTe/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells

Abstract

Achieving higher photovoltaic efficiency in single-junction devices is becoming increasingly difficult, but tandem modules offer the possibility of significant efficiency improvements. By device modeling we show that four-terminal CdTe/Si tandem solar modules offer the prospect of 25%-30% module efficiency, and technoeconomic analysis predicts that these efficiency gains can be realized at costs per Watt that are competitive with CdTe and Si single junction alternatives. The cost per Watt of the modeled tandems is lower than crystalline silicon, but slightly higher than CdTe alone. But, these higher power modules reduce area-related balance of system costs, providing increased value especially in area-constrained applications. This avenue for high-efficiency photovoltaics enables improved performance on a near-term timeframe, as well as a path to further reduced levelized cost of electricity as module and cell processes continue to advance.

Authors:

^[1];

^[1]; Kanevce, Ana ^[1]; Remo, Timothy ^[1]; Alberi, Kirstin ^[1]; Woodhouse, Michael ^[1]

National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Publication Date:: Wed Sep 06 00:00:00 EDT 2017

Research Org.:: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

OSTI Identifier:: 1399854

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5J00-70300
Journal ID: ISSN 2156-3381

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308; EE00025786

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 7; Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 2156-3381

Publisher:: IEEE

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 14 SOLAR ENERGY; photovoltaic cells; single-junction; efficiency

Citation Formats


                    Tamboli, Adele C., Bobela, David C., Kanevce, Ana, Remo, Timothy, Alberi, Kirstin, and Woodhouse, Michael. Low-Cost CdTe/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells.  United States: N. p., 2017. 
Web.  doi:10.1109/JPHOTOV.2017.2737361.

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                    Tamboli, Adele C., Bobela, David C., Kanevce, Ana, Remo, Timothy, Alberi, Kirstin, & Woodhouse, Michael. Low-Cost CdTe/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2017.2737361

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                    Tamboli, Adele C., Bobela, David C., Kanevce, Ana, Remo, Timothy, Alberi, Kirstin, and Woodhouse, Michael. Wed .  
"Low-Cost CdTe/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2017.2737361.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1399854.

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@article{osti_1399854,

  title        = {Low-Cost CdTe/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells},

  author       = {Tamboli, Adele C. and Bobela, David C. and Kanevce, Ana and Remo, Timothy and Alberi, Kirstin and Woodhouse, Michael},

  abstractNote = {Achieving higher photovoltaic efficiency in single-junction devices is becoming increasingly difficult, but tandem modules offer the possibility of significant efficiency improvements. By device modeling we show that four-terminal CdTe/Si tandem solar modules offer the prospect of 25%-30% module efficiency, and technoeconomic analysis predicts that these efficiency gains can be realized at costs per Watt that are competitive with CdTe and Si single junction alternatives. The cost per Watt of the modeled tandems is lower than crystalline silicon, but slightly higher than CdTe alone. But, these higher power modules reduce area-related balance of system costs, providing increased value especially in area-constrained applications. This avenue for high-efficiency photovoltaics enables improved performance on a near-term timeframe, as well as a path to further reduced levelized cost of electricity as module and cell processes continue to advance.},

  doi          = {10.1109/JPHOTOV.2017.2737361},

  journal      = {IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics},

  number       = 6,

  volume       = 7,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Wed Sep 06 00:00:00 EDT 2017},

  month        = {Wed Sep 06 00:00:00 EDT 2017}

}

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Works referencing / citing this record:

CdCl ₂ passivation of polycrystalline CdMgTe and CdZnTe absorbers for tandem photovoltaic cells
journal, May 2018

Swanson, Drew E.; Reich, Carey; Abbas, Ali
Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 123, Issue 20
DOI: 10.1063/1.5023811

A review of recent progress in heterogeneous silicon tandem solar cells
journal, March 2018

Yamaguchi, Masafumi; Lee, Kan-Hua; Araki, Kenji
Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, Vol. 51, Issue 13
DOI: 10.1088/1361-6463/aaaf08

Economic Advantages of Dry-Etched Black Silicon in Passivated Emitter Rear Cell (PERC) Photovoltaic Manufacturing
journal, September 2018

Modanese, Chiara; Laine, Hannu; Pasanen, Toni
Energies, Vol. 11, Issue 9
DOI: 10.3390/en11092337

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Title: Low-Cost CdTe/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells

Abstract

Citation Formats

CdCl 2 passivation of polycrystalline CdMgTe and CdZnTe absorbers for tandem photovoltaic cells journal, May 2018

A review of recent progress in heterogeneous silicon tandem solar cells journal, March 2018

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