[16a-304-1~5] Photovoltaic 4.0 - Next-generation renewable energy systems powered by high-efficiency, low-cost photovoltaics -

▲ [16a-304-3] III-V R&D at NREL for High-Efficiency and Low-Cost PV

〇John Geisz¹, Aaron Ptak¹, Adele Tamboli¹, Daniel Friedman¹ (1.NREL)

Keywords:photovoltaics, HVPE, CPV

The cost of flat-plate silicon photovoltaics (PV) has plummeted in recent years but conversion efficiencies of these conventional technologies have nearly leveled off at ~26%. The efficiency of III-V PV technologies has continued to rise though, reaching 46% for four-junction concentrator solar cells. But costs of III-V PV are currently high compared to Si PV, requiring targeted R&D strategies at NREL to penetrate terrestrial PV markets that include: 1) inverted metamorphic multijunction PV with over 50% efficiency for concentrator systems; 2) low-cost growth for III-V materials and devices by hydride vapor phase epitaxy; and 3) III-V integration with Si using mechanical stacking and selective area growth for low-cost tandem devices.