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Sustainability
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Recent Development and Advancement in Solar Cell Technologies for Sustainability
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Recent Development and Advancement in Solar Cell Technologies for Sustainability

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 2677

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Shubhranshu Bhandari

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Renewable Energy Department, Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
Interests: nanomaterials; composites; perovskite solar cells; emerging photovoltaics; BIPV; polymers; organometallics
Dr. Anurag Roy

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Renewable Energy Department, Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
Interests: solar energy; energy harvesting materials; nanostructured materials; synthesis; photovoltaics; photochemistry
Dr. Katie Shanks

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Renewable Energy Department, Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
Interests: solar energy; solar concentrators; optics; optical surface structures; biomimicry; interdisciplinary research
Dr. Yusuf Chanchangi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Renewable Energy Department, Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
Interests: PV performance and soiling; concentrators and integrated PV technology
Prof. Dr. Senthilarasu Sundaram

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Professor of Sustainable Energy Materials, School of Computing, Engineering and Digital Technologies, Teesside University, Tees Valley, Middlesbrough TS1 3BX, UK
Interests: perovskite solar cells; thin film photovoltaics; concentrated photovoltaics; solar thermal harnessing and storage; the incorporation of additive manufacturing; wastewater treatment; sustainable energy technologies for building-integrated applications—especially building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The growing energy demand, steps toward carbon neutrality and the efforts to limit climate change have greatly motivated extensive research on sustainable solar cell technologies for power generation. Depending on the current global power demand, it is imperative to achieve efficient and cost-effective solar power generation systems in place of traditional fossil fuels. Promising advances have been observed over the years, with the development of first-generation, second-generation and emerging solar cell technologies. To further enhance the possibilities of solar cell techniques, physicists, chemists, semiconductor scientists, material scientists and engineers need to cooperate to come up with new approaches for performance improvement, efficient and cost-effective architecture, materials development, fabrication technologies, theoretical modelling, and life cycle assessment for a sustainable solution.

The present Special Issue, titled ‘Recent Development and Advancement in Solar Cell Technologies for Sustainability’ aims to collect and find innovative solutions in both theoretical and experimental studies. Original research articles, communications and reviews are welcome. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Advanced synthesis and characterization of solar energy materials;
  2. Efficiency and stability aspects of solar cells;
  3. Solar cell fabrication technologies;
  4. Theoretical modelling of emerging solar cell technologies;
  5. New concepts in solar cells and cell materials;
  6. Concentrated optical elements for solar cells;
  7. Life cycle analysis for sustainable solutions;
  8. Integrated solar cell technologies.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Shubhranshu Bhandari
Dr. Anurag Roy
Dr. Katie Shanks
Dr. Yusuf Chanchangi
Dr. Senthilarasu Sundaram
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • conversion efficiency
  • high stability
  • cost-effectiveness
  • perovskite solar cells
  • organic solar cells
  • thin-film solar cells
  • quantum dot solar cells
  • dye-sensitized solar cells
  • Si-photovoltaics
  • tandem solar cell
  • polymer solar cell
  • concentrated solar cells
  • life cycle analysis
  • solar cell glazing

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 5690 KiB  
Article
Room-Temperature Processable TiO2 Solar Paint for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
by Anurag Roy, Shubhranshu Bhandari and Tithi Sen
Sustainability 2023, 15(24), 16610; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416610 - 06 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1050
Abstract
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have emerged as promising alternatives to traditional silicon photovoltaics owing to their environmentally friendly nature, easy preparation, and low cost. However, a critical bottleneck in DSSC fabrication lies in the high-temperature treatment required for the metal-oxide, primarily titanium dioxide [...] Read more.
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have emerged as promising alternatives to traditional silicon photovoltaics owing to their environmentally friendly nature, easy preparation, and low cost. However, a critical bottleneck in DSSC fabrication lies in the high-temperature treatment required for the metal-oxide, primarily titanium dioxide (TiO2), photoanode. This study presents an advanced approach aimed at overcoming this challenge by developing a facile and cost-effective room temperature processable TiO2 paste for large-scale device production and commercialization. In our investigation, TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized using the sol-gel hydrothermal method. The resulting material served as the basis for a solar paint formulation, utilized as a precursor for the photoanode in tertiary butyl alcohol. Applying this paint, achieved with a simple paintbrush, eliminated the need for high-temperature curing, binders, and reduced chemical additives. This minimizes energy consumption during fabrication and enhances the interface quality and charge transport properties of the photoanode, as evidenced by photovoltaic impedance spectroscopy measurements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Development and Advancement in Solar Cell Technologies for Sustainability)
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11 pages, 2107 KiB  
Article
The Fabrication and Characterization of Silicon Surface Grooving Using the CV Etching Technique for Front Deep Metallic Contact Solar Cells
by Mohamed Ben Rabha, Karim Choubani, Belgacem Bouktif, Mohammed A. Almeshaal, Khaled Trabelsi, Anouar Hajjaji, Ridha Ennetta, Abdallah Bouabidi and Murugesan Palaniappan Papathi
Sustainability 2023, 15(21), 15638; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152115638 - 06 Nov 2023
Viewed by 936
Abstract
This study experimentally investigated the use of the chemical vapor etching method for silicon surface grooving for regular front deep metallic contact solar cell applications. The thickness of silicon wafers is a crucial parameter in the production of solar cells with front and [...] Read more.
This study experimentally investigated the use of the chemical vapor etching method for silicon surface grooving for regular front deep metallic contact solar cell applications. The thickness of silicon wafers is a crucial parameter in the production of solar cells with front and back buried contacts, because silicon surface grooves result in a larger contact area, which in turn improves carrier collection and increases the collection probability for minority carriers. A simple, low-cost HNO3/HF chemical vapor etching technique was used to create grooves on silicon wafers with the help of a highly effective anti-acid mask. The thick porous layer of powder that was produced was easily dissolved in water, leaving patterned grooved areas on the silicon substrate. A linear dependence was observed between the etched thickness and time, suggesting that the etching process followed a constant etch rate, something that is crucial for ensuring precise and reproducible etching results for the semiconductor and microfabrication industries. Moreover, by creating shorter pathways for charge carriers to travel to their respective contacts, front deep contacts minimize the overall distance they need to traverse and therefore reduce the chance of carrier recombination within the silicon material. As a result, the internal quantum efficiency of solar cells with front deep metallic contacts improved by 35% compared to mc-Si solar cells having planar contacts. The use of front deep contacts therefore represents a forward-looking strategy for improving the performance of silicon solar cells. Indeed, this innovative electrode configuration improves charge carrier collection, mitigates recombination losses, and ultimately leads to more efficient and effective solar energy conversion, which contributes to sustainable energy development in the areas of clean energy resources. Further work needs to be undertaken to develop energy sustainably and consider other clean energy resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Development and Advancement in Solar Cell Technologies for Sustainability)
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