Characterization of microspherical semi-transparent solar cells and modules

Biancardo, Matteo; Taira, K.; Kogo, Naoki; Kikuchi, H.; Kumagai, N.; Kuratani, Noriaki; Inagawa, Ikuo; Imoto, S.; Nakata, Jyoji

doi:10.1016/j.solener.2006.10.009

Cited by 44 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…In order to make use of the excess incident radiation, a number of photovoltaic materials have been studied in semitransparent states, including standard silicon wafers with drilled holes or additional spacing between cells,18 thin‐film silicon,19, 20 CI(In,Ga)Se 2 ,21 microspherical silicon22 and organic23–29 photovoltaics, and luminescent solar concentrators 30. All of these systems may be made semitransparent and can use the extracted light to generate an electrical current.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solar Energy Collectors with Tunable Transmission

Debije

2010

Adv Funct Materials

137

127

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A new type of “smart” window is proposed that makes use of fluorescent dye guests in a liquid‐crystal host sandwiched between glass panels. The dye absorbs a variable amount of light depending on its orientation, and re‐emits this light, of which a significant fraction is trapped by total internal reflection at the glass–air interface, and becomes concentrated along the edges. Such a device could both generate electricity via an attached photovoltaic as well as allow user control of the amount of transmitted light. By applying a voltage across the cell, absorption could be varied 31%, while the usable light output only varied 11% due to the increased efficiency of light collection at homeotropic dye orientation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solar Energy Collectors with Tunable Transmission

Debije

2010

Adv Funct Materials

137

127

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“…Fiber‐based solar cells have been receiving increasing attention owing to their potential for use in lightweight, flexible configurations such as textiles, which can be portable, foldable, and even wearable 26, 27. Their round cross‐sections and freestanding nature also allow for absorption of light that is incident from all directions, thereby enabling power harvesting from diffuse and reflected light, similar to the approach that has been demonstrated with cylindrical‐film solar cells28 and spherical Si solar cells 29. In contrast, conventional planar solar cells on rigid substrates can only harvest light from one side.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Silicon p‐i‐n Junction Fibers

Day

Krishnamurthi

et al. 2012

Advanced Materials

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“…The PV cells were aligned between the conductors (Figure 1a), which draw generated electric power to the external circuit. Each cell had a p-type semiconductor inner core coated with an n-type semiconductor outer shell [26,27,[55][56][57]. The see-through semi-transparency is a particular merit of using the dispersed numerous micro-PV cells.…”

Section: Bifacial Semi-transparent Pv Modules Used As Blind Bladesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrical Energy Producing Greenhouse Shading System with a Semi-Transparent Photovoltaic Blind Based on Micro-Spherical Solar Cells

Yano

Cossu

et al. 2018

Energies

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An increasing population and limited arable land area endanger sufficient and variegated food supplies worldwide. Greenhouse cultivation enables highly intensive plant production and thereby enables the production of abundant fresh vegetables and fruits. The salient benefits of greenhouse cultivation are supported by ingenious management of crop environments, assisted by fossil fuel and grid electricity supplies. To reduce dependence on traditional energy resources, various studies have investigated exploitation of renewable energies for greenhouse environment management. Among them, solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies are anticipated to feed electrical energy to greenhouse appliances for microclimate control. This study proposes a venetian-blind-type shading system consisting of semi-transparent PV modules as blind blades based on micro-spherical solar cell technology to achieve greenhouse shading and electricity production concurrently. In response to the solar irradiance level, the PV blind inclination was altered automatically using a direct current (DC) motor driven by electrical energy generated by the PV blind itself. The PV blind was operated continuously during a five-month test period without outage. Moreover, the PV blind generated surplus electrical energy of 2125 kJ for blind system operations during the test period. The annual surplus energy calculated under the present experimental condition was 7.8 kWh m −2 year −1 , suggesting that application of the PV blind to a greenhouse roof enables sunlight level control and electrical appliance operations in the greenhouse with a diminished fuel and grid electricity supply, particularly in high-insolation regions.Energies 2018, 11, 1681 2 of 23 produces carbon dioxide emissions, the amounts of which should be reduced in the agricultural sector [2]. Under these circumstances, various studies have been conducted to use renewable energy for managing greenhouse crop environments [3,4]. Among them, solar photovoltaics (PVs) are expected to feed electricity to appliances that are used for greenhouse environment management [5].Deploying PV arrays on the sunny ground beside a greenhouse is the simplest and most effective mode of electrical energy generation. For instance, fan and pad cooling systems in Saudi Arabia [6] and in Arizona [7], a fog cooling system in Malaysia [8], and heat pump systems in Italy [9,10] were operated with power from ground-mounted PV arrays. Nevertheless, installing PV arrays partially on a greenhouse roof might be preferred if the PV panels are intended as shading materials. Shading is a fundamentally important practice for greenhouse cultivation in high-insolation regions, such as Spain [11] or Saudi Arabia [12]. Previous studies conducted in Japan [13] and in the Mediterranean region [14,15] demonstrated that an adequate level of shading mitigates excessive temperature rises in greenhouses in summer, improving crop growth and quality [16,17]. Conventionally, nets [14,15,18] and reflective coatings [18,19] have been used as practical ...

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Characterization of microspherical semi-transparent solar cells and modules

Cited by 44 publications

References 5 publications

Solar Energy Collectors with Tunable Transmission

Solar Energy Collectors with Tunable Transmission

Silicon p‐i‐n Junction Fibers

Electrical Energy Producing Greenhouse Shading System with a Semi-Transparent Photovoltaic Blind Based on Micro-Spherical Solar Cells

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