Nanosun & Nanovolt – Optical Nanostructures for Photovoltaics - Nanostructures give photovoltaics a boost!

Abstract:

Photovoltaic is assigned to a sustainable energy supply and it has by far the highest potential of all renewable energy sources. The protection of our environment, resources and climate and the access to high quality electrical power in the developing countries are main aspects. A reduction of expenses of the power generation by photovoltaic systems is the key for an accelerated market launch and distribution of this innovative technology. For a notable reduction of costs a significant enhancement of the efficiency of the solar cells and the modules is necessary. The design of optical properties of materials by novel methods of nanotechnologies, like the use of optical nanostructures, is a development which has influenced significantly optoelectronic devices within the last decade. Although photovoltaics needs new feasible concepts for an increase of the efficiency, this development was ignored by this field. Within this project new concepts should be developed and realized for the spectrally-broadband photon management. The concepts tested in the project will show the basic possibilities of the use of the optical nanostructures for the enhancement of the solar cell efficiency. But also within photonics the application area of photovoltaic is an outstanding challenge because of the spectral range of usable radiation given by the solar spectrum. Till now most ideas to use optical nanostructures within photovoltaic only exist as sketches.