High efficiency thin-film gallium arsenide solar cells. Recent developments in GaAs-based solar cells have led to efficiencies above 30%. Widespread adoption of GaAs-based solar cells for space applications has also brought about large reductions in material costs. However, GaAs cells are still much more expensive than silicon cells. This application addresses the development of a manufacturable technique for lifting off thin films of GaAs. This approach allows a significantly reduced cost due ....High efficiency thin-film gallium arsenide solar cells. Recent developments in GaAs-based solar cells have led to efficiencies above 30%. Widespread adoption of GaAs-based solar cells for space applications has also brought about large reductions in material costs. However, GaAs cells are still much more expensive than silicon cells. This application addresses the development of a manufacturable technique for lifting off thin films of GaAs. This approach allows a significantly reduced cost due to reduced materials usage, while maintaining high efficiency. Light-trapping for lifted-off cells will also be developed, which will allow the theoretical limit to performance to be approached, and fundamental processes in GaAs to be investigated.
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Next generation evaporated and laser diode processed thin-film silicon-on-glass solar cells. The project targets a new generation of low-cost silicon solar cell that will significantly reduce the costs of generating electricity from sunlight by depositing cells onto glass as it comes from a glass factory. Solar cells are presently the world's most rapidly growing energy source, with Australians and Australian companies already major players in the associated rapidly expanding industry. Solar cel ....Next generation evaporated and laser diode processed thin-film silicon-on-glass solar cells. The project targets a new generation of low-cost silicon solar cell that will significantly reduce the costs of generating electricity from sunlight by depositing cells onto glass as it comes from a glass factory. Solar cells are presently the world's most rapidly growing energy source, with Australians and Australian companies already major players in the associated rapidly expanding industry. Solar cells represent the cleanest and most acceptable technology yet suggested for supplying the world's future energy needs. A cleaner future environment than otherwise likely is another expected outcome as is the creation of major new opportunities for Australian industry.Read moreRead less
Development of Bulk Silicon Photovoltaic Devices. This project addresses a range of key issues relevant to silicon solar cells bound by the common feature of reducing cell costs by improving the cell's energy conversion efficiency. An innovative component of the project involves merging two streams of work whereby the high performance attributes of the world record efficiency laboratory devices are adapted for use with state-of-the-art commercial Solar Cell technology. The corresponding develo ....Development of Bulk Silicon Photovoltaic Devices. This project addresses a range of key issues relevant to silicon solar cells bound by the common feature of reducing cell costs by improving the cell's energy conversion efficiency. An innovative component of the project involves merging two streams of work whereby the high performance attributes of the world record efficiency laboratory devices are adapted for use with state-of-the-art commercial Solar Cell technology. The corresponding developments will be particularly important in an industry set to grow by more than a factor of ten over the next decade.Read moreRead less
Next generation evaporated and laser diode processed thin-film silicon-on-glass solar cells. The project targets a new generation of low-cost silicon solar cell that will significantly reduce the costs of generating electricity from sunlight by depositing cells onto glass as it comes from a glass factory. Solar cells are presently the world's most rapidly growing energy source, with Australians and Australian companies already major players in the associated rapidly expanding industry. Solar cel ....Next generation evaporated and laser diode processed thin-film silicon-on-glass solar cells. The project targets a new generation of low-cost silicon solar cell that will significantly reduce the costs of generating electricity from sunlight by depositing cells onto glass as it comes from a glass factory. Solar cells are presently the world's most rapidly growing energy source, with Australians and Australian companies already major players in the associated rapidly expanding industry. Solar cells represent the cleanest and most acceptable technology yet suggested for supplying the world's future energy needs. A cleaner future environment than otherwise likely is another expected outcome as is the creation of major new opportunities for Australian industry.Read moreRead less