Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1. Photovoltaics: potential and orders of magnitude
1.2. Photovoltaics: a choice of technology
1.3. Photovoltaics: Technology evolution
1.4. Photovoltaics: Manufacturing chain and efficiency increases
1.5. Photovoltaics: Impact of technology on energy pay-back time
1.6. Beyond silicon single-junction solar cells.
1.7. Building integrated photovoltaics. 1.8. PV in future energy systems
1.9. References
2. Solar Spectra
2.1. Interaction of sunlight and the earth's atmosphere
2.2. Albedo
2.3. Indoor lighting
2.4. "Lux" as a unit of light measurement
2.5. Moonlight
2.6. Irradiance and irradiation
2.7. References
3. Solar Cells: Basics
Preamble: Some basic terms from semiconductor physics
3.1. The photovoltaic effect: Interaction of light and matter
3.2. Conversion of light into electricity by a diode
3.3. Separation of electrons and holes: the solar cell as diode
3.4. Solar cell characteristics, equivalent circuits and key parameters
3.5. Solar cell efficiency limits
About the Author: Arvind Shah was born in Bombay, India, and attended the ETH Zürich, where he graduated in 1964 as Electrical Engineer and completed his PhD in Applied Physics in 1968 on memory applications of ferroelectrics. From 1968 to 1975, he worked as a lecturer and R&D group leader at the Department of Industrial Research of the ETH Zürich and, in 1975, founded and co-directed the Centre for Electronics Design and Technology (CEDT) at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, which is currently one of India's leading University Centres in the field of electronics. In 1979, he was appointed Professor at the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland, where he founded the Photovoltaics Research Laboratory (PV Lab Neuchâtel) as a part of the Institute of Microtechnology (IMT). The PV Lab Neuchâtel is a pioneer in the establishment of low-cost production methods for solar cells based on silicon and has significantly contributed to the development of transparent conductive oxides as contact layers for solar cells. In October 2005, Arvind Shah retired from his position as Head of the PV Lab and as Professor at the University of Neuchâtel and at the Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). Since then he has been active as scientific consultant to various industries throughout Europe, India and the USA. He is author or co-author of more than 200 peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals and editor of the book "Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells", published by the EPFL Press in 2010. Together with Johannes Meier, he was awarded, in 2005, the Swiss Solar Prize. In 2007 he received the Becquerel Prize, during the 22nd EC Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference.
