All-back-contact neutral-colored transparent crystalline silicon solar cells enabling seamless modularization

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy Engineering
• Photovoltaics

Background:

• Transparent solar cells (TSCs) offer potential for integrated energy generation but face challenges in modularization for practical voltage and current control.
• Current research in TSCs is limited, particularly regarding scalable module development for real-world applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize transparent crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells and modules using a novel all-back-contact (ABC) design.
• To demonstrate the modularization capabilities of ABC TSCs for tunable voltage and power output.
• To assess the practical application potential of these transparent solar modules.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of glass-like transparent c-Si solar cells utilizing a custom-designed all-back-contact (ABC) configuration.
• Seamless interconnection of individual transparent solar cells to form larger modules.
• Performance characterization including power conversion efficiency (PCE) and average visible transmittance (AVT).
• Demonstration of module scalability and photocharging capability.

Main Results:

• The developed ABC-transparent c-Si solar cells achieved a peak PCE of 15.8% with an average visible transmittance of 20%.
• Seamlessly interconnected modules demonstrated systematic tuning of output voltage and power, from unit cells (0.64 V, 15.8 mW) to larger modules (10.0 V, 235 mW).
• Successful photocharging of a smartphone using a transparent ABC solar module was achieved.

Conclusions:

• The all-back-contact (ABC) design is effective for creating high-efficiency, visible transparent crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells and modules.
• The modular approach allows for scalable and tunable electrical output, overcoming previous limitations in TSC application.
• Transparent ABC solar modules show significant promise for practical energy generation in diverse settings.