Certified high-efficiency "large-area" perovskite solar module for Fresnel lens-based concentrated photovoltaics

Affiliations

¹ Solar Energy Resaerch Group, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK.
² Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Valais Wallis, 1951 Sion, Switzerland.
³ Mechanical and Energy Engineering Department, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 34212, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy Sources, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, People's Republic of China.
⁵ Cybersecurity and Systems Engineering, School of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, Edinburgh Napier University, Merchiston Campus, Edinburgh EH10 5DT, UK.
⁶ Toyota Motor Europe, Materials Engineering Division, Hoge Wei 33, Zaventem 1820, Belgium.
⁷ Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Research (CEAMR), King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ Johns Hopkins University, Whiting School of Engineering, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.

PMID: 36843846
PMCID: PMC9950384
DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106079

Certified high-efficiency "large-area" perovskite solar module for Fresnel lens-based concentrated photovoltaics

Anurag Roy et al. iScience. 2023.

. 2023 Feb 2;26(3):106079.

doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106079. eCollection 2023 Mar 17.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Solar Energy Resaerch Group, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK.
² Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Valais Wallis, 1951 Sion, Switzerland.
³ Mechanical and Energy Engineering Department, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 34212, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Alternate Electrical Power System with Renewable Energy Sources, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, People's Republic of China.
⁵ Cybersecurity and Systems Engineering, School of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, Edinburgh Napier University, Merchiston Campus, Edinburgh EH10 5DT, UK.
⁶ Toyota Motor Europe, Materials Engineering Division, Hoge Wei 33, Zaventem 1820, Belgium.
⁷ Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Research (CEAMR), King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ Johns Hopkins University, Whiting School of Engineering, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.

PMID: 36843846
PMCID: PMC9950384
DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106079

Abstract

The future of energy generation is well in tune with the critical needs of the global economy, leading to more green innovations and emissions-abatement technologies. Introducing concentrated photovoltaics (CPVs) is one of the most promising technologies owing to its high photo-conversion efficiency. Although most researchers use silicon and cadmium telluride for CPV, we investigate the potential in nascent technologies, such as perovskite solar cell (PSC). This work constitutes a preliminary investigation into a "large-area" PSC module under a Fresnel lens (FL) with a "refractive optical concentrator-silicon-on-glass" base to minimize the PV performance and scalability trade-off concerning the PSCs. The FL-PSC system measured the solar current-voltage characteristics in variable lens-to-cell distances and illuminations. The PSC module temperature was systematically studied using the COMSOL transient heat transfer mechanism. The FL-based technique for "large-area" PSC architectures is a promising technology that further facilitates the potential for commercialization.

Keywords: Energy materials; Energy systems; Optical property.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

**Figure 1**
“Large-area” perovskite solar cell module development and understanding of the photovoltaic performance in concentrated sunlight PSC module development. (A–E) (A) A photograph of the encapsulated “large-area” of the PSC module; (B) a schematic representation of the module structure with nine sub-cells connected in series; (C) a cross-sectional SEM image of one of the sub-cells in the PSC module; (D) an operational testing view of the FL-PSC system, undertaken in this work; and (E) a schematic of the PV performance evaluation of FL-PSC system under various lens-to-cell distances capable of producing a focal spot relatively similar to the surface area of PSC, corresponding to their respective effective solar irradiance.

**Figure 2**
Experimental setup of Fresnel lens with the “large-area” PSC module tested under concentrated light using a solar simulator (A and B) The photographs are of the experimental setup of (A) the FL-PSC system and (B) the corresponding close-up view.

**Figure 3**
Effect of Fresnel lens emplacement on the perovskite solar cell module’s photovoltaic performance under 1 Sun condition while varying the lens-to-cell distance (A–D) (A) The current-voltage plot; (B) the corresponding power-voltage plot for the “large-area” FL-PSC system under different concentrated focal lengths under 1,000 W/m² of solar irradiance, which is compared with the PSC-only module; (C) the light-soaking characteristics plot, where FF predominately governs the PCE; and (D) the day-wise current-voltage plot for stability monitoring under 1,000 W/m² of solar irradiance of the PSC module (inset: corresponding PV parameter variation plot).

**Figure 4**
Effect of Fresnel lens emplacement on the perovskite solar cell module’s photovoltaic performance under different solar irradiances without Fresnel lens (A–C) Photovoltaic performance plots of (A) the current vs. voltage, (B) the power vs. voltage, and (C) the parameters’ trend bar plot for the I_SC, V_OC, and FF for the “large-area” PSC module under various solar irradiance levels.

**Figure 5**
Effect of Fresnel lens emplacement on the “large-area” perovskite solar cell module’s photovoltaic performance under different effective solar irradiances at a lens-to-cell distance of 10, 20, and 30 cm (A–F) Photovoltaic performance plots of (A) power conversion efficiency, (B) power, (C) short-circuit current, (D) open-circuit voltage, and (E) fill factor as a function of solar irradiance for the Fresnel lens-perovskite solar cell system at a lens-to-cell distance of 10, 20, and 30 cm, and (F) the EQE of the perovskite solar cell module compared with the transmission spectrum of the Fresnel lens.

**Figure 6**
The surface temperature detected during the Fresnel lens-induced concentrated light on the “large-area” perovskite solar cell module (A–D) Infrared thermal images of the “large-area” concentrated perovskite solar cell module: (A) the PSC module only; the Fresnel lens-PSC module at a lens-to-cell distance of (B) 10 cm, (C) 20 cm, and (D) 30 cm, under 1,000 W/m² of solar irradiance.

**Figure 7**
Temperature and heat-transfer modeling analysis across the perovskite solar cell interfaces during a lens-to-cell distance at an incident solar irradiance of 1,000 W/m² The COMSOL simulates the thermal profile of the FL-PSC system under 1,000 W/m². Thermo-kinetic COMSOL simulation results of the “large-area” PSC module for (A) without the FL and with the FL-PSC system, with the FL-PSC system at a lens-to-cell distance of (B) 20 cm and (C) 30 cm; and interfacial temperature analysis of the “large-area” PSC module for (D) without the FL and with the FL-PSC system at a lens-to-cell distance of either (E) 20 cm or (F) 30 cm.

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Certified high-efficiency "large-area" perovskite solar module for Fresnel lens-based concentrated photovoltaics

Affiliations

Certified high-efficiency "large-area" perovskite solar module for Fresnel lens-based concentrated photovoltaics

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources