Abstract
Luminescent solar concentrators are low cost photovoltaic devices, which reduce the amount of necessary semiconductor material per unit area of a solar collector by means of concentration. The device is comprised a thin plastic plate in which luminescent species (fluorophores) have been incorporated. The fluorophores absorb the solar light and radiatively re-emit part of the energy. Total internal reflection traps most of the emitted light inside the plate and wave-guides it to a narrow side facet with a solar cell attached, where conversion into electricity occurs. The efficiency of such devices is as yet rather low, due to several loss mechanisms, of which self-absorption is of high importance. This work demonstrates that type-II semiconductor hetero-nanocrystals may offer a solution to the self-absorption problem in luminescent solar concentrators. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 57-65 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells |
Volume | 111 |
Issue number | 2013 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Apr 2013 |
Bibliographical note
CIER-E-2013-11Keywords
- Luminescent solar concentrators
- Self-absorption
- Semiconductor hetero-nanocrystals
- Quantum dots
- Solar cells
- FLUORESCENT COLLECTORS
- ENERGY CONVERSION
- CDSE NANOCRYSTALS
- EFFICIENCY
- EMISSION
- HETERONANOCRYSTALS
- HETEROSTRUCTURES
- PHOTOVOLTAICS
- OPTIMIZATION
- PERFORMANCE