Partners
Promotor / Supervisor
Prof. dr. ir. Jozef Poortmans
Samenvatting van het onderzoek / Summary of Research
Renewable energy systems based on photovoltaic technologies play a central role in meeting the ever-increasing global energy demand. Although single-junction crystalline silicon solar cells currently dominate the photovoltaic market, their power conversion efficiency is approaching the theoretical limit. One approach to surpass this limit is combining the silicon solar cell with a wider bandgap solar cell in a multijunction (tandem) configuration. Organic-inorganic halide perovskites, by virtue of their remarkable optoelectronic properties and low costs, are promising candidates for such wide-bandgap solar cells. By going beyond the power conversion efficiency limits of established photovoltaic technologies, perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells can pave the path to cheaper photovoltaic electricity.
This work investigates the promising perovskite-silicon tandem photovoltaic technology with a focus on four-terminal tandem configuration. Through detailed opto-electronic analysis, a novel four-terminal tandem solar module design is demonstrated. The low-loss device design enables fabrication of four-terminal perovskite-silicon solar modules on industry-relevant sizes while maintaining high power conversion efficiency. In addition to device design, careful optical control is key to achieving high tandem power conversion efficiency. Through rigorous optical simulations, efficient light management concepts are developed that minimise overall reflection of the tandem solar cells and enhance complementary absorption of the individual subcells. Furthermore, perovskites with bandgaps that are optimal for tandem designs with crystalline silicon are explored. The systematic study provides valuable insight into fundamental material properties and factors influencing the open-circuit voltages of perovskite solar cells. Going beyond lab-scale, the scalability of perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells to larger sizes is also examined, providing an outlook for large-area, high-efficiency perovskite-silicon tandem solar modules.
Volledige tekst van het doctoraat / full text
Examencommissie / Board of examiners
Prof. dr. ir. Jozef Poortmans (promotor)
Prof. dr. ir. Omer Van der Biest (voorzitter/chairman)
Prof. dr. ir. Johan Driesen (secretaris/secretary)
Prof. dr. ir. Robert Pierre Mertens
Prof. dr. Andre Stesmans
Prof. dr. Dirk Vanderzande , Universiteit Hasselt
Dr. Maarten Debucquoy , IMEC
Dr. David Cheyns , Imec
Dr. Ulrich W. Paetzold , Karlsruhe Institute of Technology