Project description
Improving the conversion efficiency of infrared light to energy
Infrared light accounts for nearly half of the solar energy that reaches the earth's surface. However, solar infrared rays normally pass right through the photovoltaic materials that make up solar cells. The EU-funded PAIDEIA project aims to enhance solar energy conversion in the infrared part of the spectrum. To that end, it will use doped semiconductor nanocrystals that possess a tuneable plasmonic response in the range of 800–4 000 nm. Three different architectures will be tested to produce a high-efficiency solar cell device. Ultimately, the project plans to develop a tandem solar cell that combines the regular power conversion efficiencies of a commercial silicon solar cell with the new device it plans to create, targeting a total solar energy conversion efficiency of 30 %.
Objective
Earth is inhabited by an energy hungry human society. The Sun, with a global radiation at the ground level of more than 1 kW/m^2, is our largest source of energy. However, 45% of the total radiation is in the near infrared (NIR) and is not absorbed by most photovoltaic materials.
PAIDEIA focuses on two main advantages aiming to enhance the capacity of solar energy conversion:
i) plasmon assisted hot carriers extraction from NIR plasmonic materials;
ii) linewidth narrowing in plasmonic nanoparticle films that enhances the lifetime of hot carriers and, thus, boosts the efficiency of light driven carrier extraction.
Instead of metals, which operate mostly in the visible region, we will make use of doped semiconductor nanocrystals (DSNCs) as hot electron extraction materials possessing a plasmonic response tunable in the range 800 nm – 4000 nm. Three different innovative architectures will be used for improved device performance: i) improved Schottky junctions (DSNC/wide band gap semiconductor nanocomposites); ii) ultrathin devices (DSNCs/2D quantum materials); iii) maximized interface DSNC/semiconductor bulk hetero-Schottky junctions.
By combining both concepts in advanced architectures we aim to produce a solar cell device that functions in the NIR with efficiencies of up to 10%. A tandem solar cell that combines the conventional power conversion efficiency, up to ~1100 nm, of a commercial Si solar cell (~20%) with the new PAIDEIA based device is expected to reach a total power conversion efficiency of 30% by extending the width of wavelengths that are converted to the full spectral range delivered by the Sun. PAIDEIA has a deeply fundamental character impacting several areas in the field of nanophysics, nanochemistry and materials processing and, at the same time, having a high impact on the study of solar energy conversion. Finally, PAIDEIA will provide answers to the fundamental questions regarding the physical behaviour of plasmonic/semiconductor interfaces.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energysolar energy
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynano-materialsnanocrystals
- natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicssemiconductivity
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsenergy conversion
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
ERC-COG - Consolidator GrantHost institution
10129 Torino
Italy