Overcoming the Poor Short Wavelength Spectral Response of CdS/CdTe Photovoltaic Modules via Luminescence Down-Shifting: Ray-Tracing Simulations

摘要

The short-wavelength response of cadmium sulfidel cadmium telluride (CdS/CdTe) photovoltaic (PV) modules can be improved by the application of a luminescent downshifting (LDS) layer to the PV module. The LDS layer contains a mixture of fluorescent organic dyes that are able to absorb short-wavelength light of lambda < 540 nm, nm, for which the PV module exhibited low external quantum efficiency (EQE), and re-emit it at a longer wavelength (lambda > 540 nm), where the solar cell EQE is high. Ray-tracing simulations indicate that a mixed LDS layer containing three dyes could lead to an increase in the short-circuit current density from J_(sc) = l9.8mA/cm~2 to J_(sc) - 22.9 mA/cm~2 for a CdS/CdTe PV module. This corresponds to an increase in conversion efficiency from 9.6 percent to 11.2 percent. This indicates that a relative increase in the performance of a production CdS/CdTe PV module of nearly 17 percent can be expected via the application of LDS layers, possibly without any making any alterations to the solar cell itself.