Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: Due to increase in demand of electricity and high environment hazard cause by fossil fuel in generation electricity, renewable energy (such as solar energy, wind energy and so on) researches are becoming mandatory to researchers especially scientists and engineers and in solar energy generation an electronic device is used to convert energy from sun into electricity which is known as solar photovoltaic cell and the efficiency of this device is improving by improving the materials used in manufacturing it. This paper was aimed to review the status of these materials for solar photovoltaic cell up to date, from the review it was discovered that the materials are classified based on the generations whereby their efficiencies are increasing from first generation to third generation. And the current market is mainly covered by the first two generations. The first generation comprises well-known medium/low cost technologies that lead to moderate yields. The second generation (thin-film technologies) includes devices that have lower efficiency albeit are cheaper to manufacture. The third generation presents the use of novel materials, as well as a great variability of designs, and comprises expensive but very efficient cells. Although there is fourth generation which their performance and stability was yet to be found as the review disclosed.
Authors: Jamilu Ya’u Muhammad, Abudharr Bello Waziri, Abubakar Muhammad Shitu, Umar Muhammad Ahmad, Musa Hassan Muhammad, Yusuf Alhaji, Audu Taofeek Olaniyi, Auwal Abdulkadir Bala
Language: English
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2982591066