Cost model for LIMA device

M.A. Vázquez , J.P. Connolly (1) , O. Cubero , G. Daly , A. Halm , R. Kopecek , V.D. Mihailetchi , Emile Perez (2) , G. Pucker (3) , G. Sánchez , L. Pavesi (4)

1 IPVF - Institut Photovoltaïque d’Ile-de-France (ITE)
2 IMRCP - Interactions moléculaires et réactivité chimique et photochimique
3 Bruno Kessler Fdn, Adv Photon e Photovolta Unit, I-38123 Povo, Trento, Italy
4 Laboratorio di Nanoscienze

In this paper we show the results of the cost model developed in LIMA project (FP7-248909). The LIMA project is titled "Improve photovoltaic efficiency by applying novel effects at the limits of light to matter interaction". The project started in January 2010 and during this year a cost model of the device developed in the project has been developed to assess the industrial viability of this innovative approach to increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of photovoltaic solar cells. LIMA project exploits cutting edge photonic technologies to enhance silicon solar cell efficiencies with new concepts in nanostructured materials. It proposes nano-structured surface layers designed to increase light absorption in the solar cell while decreasing surface and interface recombination loss. Integration in a back contact design further reduces these interface losses and avoids shading. The project improves light-matter interaction by the use a surface plasmonic nanoparticle layer. This reduces reflection and efficiently couples incident radiation into the solar cell where it is trapped by internal reflection. Surface and interface recombination are minimized by using silicon quantum dot superlattices in a passivating matrix. The distance between quantum dots ensures wave-function overlap and good conductivity.

Mots clés: plasmonic layer; cost analysis; Interdigitated back contact solar cells; silicon quantum dots

Domaines: Sciences de l'ingénieur [physics]

M.A. Vázquez, J.P. Connolly, O. Cubero, G. Daly, A. Halm, et al.. Cost model for LIMA device. Energy Procedia, 2011, 8, pp.443-448. ⟨10.1016/j.egypro.2011.06.163⟩. ⟨hal-02635226⟩