Emerging solar cell technologies include novel methods, materials, and techniques in various phases of development, from early-stage research to near-commercialization. Their objective is to improve the efficiency, affordability, and adaptability of solar cells.
Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative Policies and ethics The future of solar cell technology is poised for remarkable advancements, offering unprecedented potential to revolutionize renewable energy generation. This chapter highlights key areas of innovation and progress in solar cell research.
Solar cell technology, which converts sunlight directly into electricity, has made significant strides since its inception and holds the key to unlocking the full potential of solar energy .
Some examples of advanced solar cell technologies are quantum-dot solar cells (Kamat, 2013), dye-sensitized solar cells (Sharma et al., 2018), organic-solar cells (Servaites et al., 2011), perovskite-solar cells (Anon, 2023a), and more. At present, crystalline silicon modules are less expensive than modules composed of other materials.
The prospects of various solar cell technologies are promising but differ in focus. Silicon-based solar cells continue to evolve, with prospects for improved efficiency and cost reduction through advanced materials and manufacturing techniques.
Higher efficiency means that more electricity can be generated from the same amount of sunlight, leading to increased energy output and better utilization of available resources . Cost Reduction: As solar cell technologies improve and become more efficient, their manufacturing costs are expected to decrease.