In-line manufactured CdTe thin film photovoltaic devices were evaluated for their performance with respect to power conversion efficiency and reliability (stability). A National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) certified power conversion efficiency of 12.44% was measured for one CdTe device. A mean efficiency of 11.4% for 53 devices is shown. Results of reliability studies give a conservative estimate of relative degradation per year in efficiency over a lifetime for these CdTe devices.
Issue Section:
Research Papers
1.
Mandil
, C.
, 2004, World Energy Outlook 2004
, International Energy Agency IEA∕OECD
, Paris
.2.
Smil
, V.
, 1999, Energies: An Illustrated Guide to the Biosphere and Civilization
, MIT Press
, Cambridge, MA
.3.
Hegedus
, S.
, 2006, “Thin Film Solar Modules: The Low Cost, High Throughput and Versatile Alternative to Si Wafers
,” Prog. Photovoltaics
1062-7995, 14
, pp. 393
–411
.4.
Barth
, K. L.
, Enzenroth
, R. A.
, and Sampath
, W. S.
, 2002, “Apparatus and Processes for the Mass Production of Photovoltaic Modules
,” U.S. Patent No. 6,423,565.5.
Barth
, K. L.
, Enzenroth
, R. A.
, Sampath
, W. S.
, and Manivannan
, V.
, 2006, “In-line Manufacturing of CdTe Thin Film Photovoltaic Devices
,” , submitted.6.
Enzenroth
, R. A.
, Barth
, K. L.
, and Sampath
, W. S.
, 2004, “Continuous, In-Line Processing of CdS/CdTe Devices: Progress Towards Consistent Stability
,” 19th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference
, Paris, France
, June 7–11, pp. 1980
–1983
.7.
Hiltner
, J. F.
, and Sites
, J. R.
, 1999, “Stability of CdTe Solar Cells at Elevated Temperatures: Bias, Temperature and Cu Dependence
,” Proceedings of the NCPV PV Program Review
, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
, Colorado, pp. 170
–175
.Copyright © 2007
by American Society of Mechanical Engineers
You do not currently have access to this content.