Dye Sensitized Solar Modules with Embedded Silver Lines
- PDF / 461,392 Bytes
- 6 Pages / 432 x 648 pts Page_size
- 61 Downloads / 185 Views
Dye Sensitized Solar Modules with Embedded Silver Lines Kerem Cagatay Icli1,3 and Macit Ozenbas2,3 1
Middle East Technical University, Dept. of Micro and Nanotechnology, Ankara, Turkey
2
Middle East Technical University, Metallurgical and Materials Eng. Dept., Ankara, Turkey
3
Center for Solar Energy Research and Applications (GÜNAM), Middle East Technical
University, Ankara, Turkey
ABSTRACT We employed ultrasonic spray deposition method for production of high quality FTO thin film TCOs to be employed in a silver embedded grid type and monolithic type dye sensitized solar modules. Produced films exhibited dense and crystalline structure with homogeneous coverage on solar glass substrates. Obtained resistivity and light transmission values of FTO are comparable to commercially available FTO coated glasses used widely in the industry. After optimization of the chemistry and deposition conditions, 10x10 cm sized glass substrates could be produced for large area photovoltaic modules. Produced FTO films were used to construct monolithic type and parallel type dye sensitized solar modules. Monolithic modules yielded 1.61% active area efficiency value. In order to enhance the active area of the parallel type modules, silver grid lines were embedded in glass substrate and FTO coating was deposited on the lines. Due to this effective design, we achieved 2.42% efficiency on the total area of the 55x55 mm sized module compared to 2.90% active area efficiency, proving that this design is suitable for enhancing efficiency values of parallel type dye sensitized solar modules. INTRODUCTION Dye sensitized solar cells have been attracting attention as low cost alternatives to silicon based technology. Ease of mass production thanks to solution processed manufacturing and use of abundant materials are attractive features for commercialization. Although best laboratory cell efficiencies are over 12% [1], most reported modules have efficiencies ranging between 4-6% [2,3] and best reported submodule efficiencies are around 8% [4]. Efficiency reduction during conversion of cells to module is a common situation for all types of solar cells and mostly related to limited conductivity of large area substrates, which in turn hinders the efficient charge collection. Current collecting silver grids are prerequisite for collecting the current generated by individual cells in all types of photovoltaic devices. Although parallel connection with the aid of silver grids offers a strong reduction in substrate resistance, silver can rapidly be corroded by the electrolyte species and an effective sealing is required which in turn decreases the active area of the module and causes complication for mass production [5-6]. Fluorine doped tin dioxide (FTO) is the choice of TCO materials for dye sensitized solar cell applications due to high stability at elevated temperatures required during solar cell production. FTO thin films can be produced by various vacuum methods like chemical vapor deposition [7], pulsed laser deposition [8] and DC reactive sp
Data Loading...