Title: Bifacial Si heterojunction-perovskite organic-inorganic tandem to produce highly efficient (η_T* ~ 33%) solar cell

Abstract

As single junction photovoltaic (PV) technologies, both Si heterojunction (HIT) and perovskite based solar cells promise high efficiencies at low cost. Intuitively, a traditional tandem cell design with these cells connected in series is expected to improve the efficiency further. Using a self-consistent numerical modeling of optical and transport characteristics, however, we find that a traditional series connected tandem design suffers from low J_SC due to band-gap mismatch and current matching constraints. Furthermore, a traditional tandem cell with state-of-the-art HIT (η = 24%) and perovskite (η = 20%) sub-cells provides only a modest tandem efficiency of η_T~ 25%. Instead, we demonstrate that a bifacial HIT/perovskite tandem design decouples the optoelectronic constraints and provides an innovative path for extraordinary efficiencies. In the bifacial configuration, the same state-of-the-art sub-cells achieve a normalized output of η_T* = 33%, exceeding the bifacial HIT performance at practical albedo reflections. Unlike the traditional design, this bifacial design is relatively insensitive to perovskite thickness variations, which may translate to simpler manufacture and higher yield.

Authors:

Asadpour, Reza ^[1]; Chavali, Raghu V. K.  ^[1];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Chavali, Raghu V. K."
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-8917-2639"

Khan, M. Ryyan  ^[1];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Khan, M. Ryyan"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0001-5632-9233"

Alam, Muhammad A. ^[1]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States)

Publication Date:

Mon Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015

Research Org.:

Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office

OSTI Identifier:

1579850

Grant/Contract Number:  

EE0004946

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Applied Physics Letters

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 106; Journal Issue: 24; Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951

Publisher:

American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

14 SOLAR ENERGY