Solar Cell Efficiency Enhancement Through Down-Shifting and Up-Converting Layers: the Ephocell Project: Luminescent Downshifting Quantum Yield Measurements

Organic cells and dye-sensitized cells developed to-date have a narrow active absorption range, relative to the spectral range of the available solar resource. Their efficiency could be significantly enhanced through a process of down-shifting (DS) and up-conversion of non-absorbable photons converting them to photons better matching the spectral response of the particular solar cell. The DS molecules must exhibit a large Stokes shift and high luminescent quantum yield when incorporated in the downshifting polymer layer. In this paper, the QY of a downshifting Europium (III) complex in solution is determined using two distinct experimental techniques. The QY is measured for varying concentration and at varying excitation wavelength

Ephocell project: smart light collecting system for the efficiency enhancement of solar cells - ray trace modeling of system

PV cell efficiency is limited partly due to the spectral mismatch between the solar spectrum and the PV absorption properties. PV conversion efficiency is enhanced by external modulation of the incident irradiance, by means of photon downshifting (DS) and upconversion (UC). A ray-trace modelling tool is presented to simulate the luminescent DS and UC processes and thereby optimise the doping concentrations and geometric dimensions of the DS and UC layers.Peer Reviewe

Ephocell project: smart light collecting system for the efficiency enhancement of solar cells - ray trace modeling of system

PV cell efficiency is limited partly due to the spectral mismatch between the solar spectrum and the PV absorption properties. PV conversion efficiency is enhanced by external modulation of the incident irradiance, by means of photon downshifting (DS) and upconversion (UC). A ray-trace modelling tool is presented to simulate the luminescent DS and UC processes and thereby optimise the doping concentrations and geometric dimensions of the DS and UC layers.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Ephocell project: smart light collecting system for the efficiency enhancement of solar cells - ray trace modeling of system

PV cell efficiency is limited partly due to the spectral mismatch between the solar spectrum and the PV absorption properties. PV conversion efficiency is enhanced by external modulation of the incident irradiance, by means of photon downshifting (DS) and upconversion (UC). A ray-trace modelling tool is presented to simulate the luminescent DS and UC processes and thereby optimise the doping concentrations and geometric dimensions of the DS and UC layers.Peer Reviewe