Luminescent coverglass for improved absorption efficiency in III-V photovoltaic modules

Abstract

An initial demonstration is reported in terms of maximising performance of photovoltaic modules. Experimental results of a triple junction solar cell covered with a 3 mm red-emitting luminous glass which can be efficiently excited by ultraviolet light indicate that this combination exhibits significantly enhanced efficiency of 36.5% under one-sun of AM1.5G. Integrating a luminescent (LSC) glass onto modules without converting any fabrication process at the device level is considered to be one of the predominant advantages of this device. Additionally, in order to achieve strong visible emission, it is mandatory to determine a thickness of LSC coverglass due to the edge reflection. © The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2016.