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Thermodynamic principles for optimizing multi-junction photovoltaics—Exemplified for perovskite-based indoor photovoltaics
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Drew Riley ,
Gregory Burwell ,
Paul Meredith
APL Energy, Volume: 3, Issue: 3
Swansea University Authors:
Drew Riley , Gregory Burwell , Paul Meredith
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DOI (Published version): 10.1063/5.0266374
Abstract
Multi-junction architectures are utilized in photovoltaic (PV) technology to widen spectral range, increase voltage and/or current, and hence deliver higher overall power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). However, accurate approaches for simulating multi-junction PVs using the electro-optical properti...
| Published in: | APL Energy |
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| ISSN: | 2770-9000 |
| Published: |
AIP Publishing
2025
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| Online Access: |
Check full text
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69919 |
| Abstract: |
Multi-junction architectures are utilized in photovoltaic (PV) technology to widen spectral range, increase voltage and/or current, and hence deliver higher overall power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). However, accurate approaches for simulating multi-junction PVs using the electro-optical properties of real materials are somewhat scarce—particularly in the context of novel applications such as indoor PVs, where the illumination spectrum differs from natural sunlight. Herein, we present a robust methodology—alongside an open-source simulation tool—for modeling multi-junction PVs while accounting for intrinsic PV features, including sub-gap absorption, band-filling effects, and radiative couplings between junctions. Although we primarily focus our investigation on perovskite-based multi-junction devices, our approach is extendable to any class of PV material. We apply it in the context of indoor PVs by assuming the LED-B4 spectrum as a representative light source. At a typical illuminance of 1000 lux, we find that PCEs above 60% are possible by combining a 2.1 eV wide-gap top cell with a 1.0–2.0 eV narrow-gap bottom cell, meaning that a suitable wide-gap semiconductor could be coupled with almost any conventional solar cell to achieve high performance. Using the spectral responses of real PV devices, we then predict optimal material configurations under LED-B4 illumination, before probing the spectral versatility of these devices under a variety of indoor light sources and intensities. We find that the maximum power point voltage is mostly independent of light source, while PCE is more sensitive due to changes in current density, which provides insight into how laboratory-optimized devices may perform in realistic scenarios. |
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| Keywords: |
Electrical properties and parameters, Quantum efficiency, Photovoltaics, Solar cell efficiency, Perovskites, Maximum power point tracking, Equilibrium thermodynamics, Photoconductivity, Semiconductor materials, Thermodynamic limit |
| College: |
Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| Funders: |
This work was funded by the UKRI through the EPSRC Program Grant No. EP/T028513/1 Application Targeted and Integrated Photovoltaics and the UKRI Research England RPIF Programme (Center for Integrative Semiconductor Materials). This work was also supported through the Welsh Government’s Sêr Cymru II Program “Sustainable Advanced Materials” (Welsh European Funding Office—European Regional Development Fund). P.M. is a Sêr Cymru II Research Chair. |
| Issue: |
3 |