Energy Falling on Earth In a single hour = 4.

3x 10^4 J
Total Energy consumption across the world in an year = 4.1 x 10^4 J
Power Consumption = 13 Tw
Projected Power Consumption by 2050 = 30Tw
Therefore by converting just 0.16% of earth land by 10% efficient solar panels
would generate 20 Tw of Electricity which is twice the energy generated by
conventional fossil fuels .

Solar Energy conversion techniques :Solar Fuel (Conversion of solar energy->Electricity->Chemical Energy OR
biomass to Biofuel)
Solar Electricity (photovoltaic)
Solar Thermal (Solar Energy ->Heat Energy)

To meet the energy needs of the world through Biomass -> Whole arable land
needs to be covered by fastest growing crops such as switchgrass .

Key research areas:-

(1) coaxing cheap materials

to perform as well as expensive materials in terms of their electrical,
optical, chemical, and
physical properties
(2) developing new paradigms for solar cell design that surpass traditional
efficiency limits
(3) finding catalysts that enable inexpensive, efficient conversion of solar
energy into chemical fuels
(4) identifying novel methods for self-assembly of molecular
components into functionally integrated systems
(5) developing materials for solar energy
conversion infrastructure, such as transparent conductors and robust,
inexpensive thermal
management materials.

Considering the environmental factors

To stabilize the atmospheric CO2 produced their would be a requirement
of carbon-neutral energy at twice their preanthropogenic level .This
account of 10 Tw of clean energy .

Three methods for this are ;

Carbon Sequestration 20,000 times the size of Norway Sleipner

Project

Nuclear Power - To generate the required 10 Tw of electricity it would be

required to build 1 GW nuclear plant every other day for the next 50 years in
some part of the world . This would deplete the Uranium Reserves in less than 10
Years .

Renewable Resources - Hydroelectric < 0.5 TW , Tides and ocean

currents < 2 TW, Geothermal < 12 TW of which only a fraction is
practically usable ,

To generate the required 10 Tw of electricity it would be required to build 1 GW

nuclear plant every other day for the next 50 years in some part of the world .
Solar Energy capacity 1,20,000 TW

Definition Of Wp
The peak watt (Wp) rating is the power (in watts) produced by a solar module
illuminated under the following standard conditions: 1,000 W/m2 intensity, 25C
ambient temperature, and a spectrum that relates to sunlight that has passed
through the atmosphere when the sun is at a 42 elevation from the horizon

Types of Solar Cells

Organic cells with Organic semiconductors
Inorganic Cells with solid-state semiconductor devices
PhotoElectrochemical Cells

Inorganic cells are the most common

Current density formulae
J dark (V) = J0( eqV/kT 1)
where J0 is a constant, q is electronic charge, k is Boltzmans constant, and T is
temperature (K)
J sc = q Is (E) (QY)(E) dE

(2)

where Is = solar photon flux, E = photon energy (inversely proportional to the

wavelength of the photon), and QY = quantum yield (electrons collected per
incident photon).
The net current density (J) is:
J(V) = Jsc Jdark (V) = Jsc - J0( eqV/kT 1)

(3a)

However, ideal diode behavior is seldom seen. This is accounted for by

introducing a non-ideality factor, m, into Equation 3a:
J(V) = Jsc Jdark (V) = Jsc - J0( eqV/mkT 1)

(3b)

Because no current flows at open circuit, the open-circuit voltage (Voc) for the
ideal device is obtained by setting
J(V) = 0,
V oc = [kT/q] ln [(Jsc/ J0) + 1]

Three important metrics for solar cells ;

1 Efficiency
2 Manufacturing Cost
3 Reliability

Generation of Solar Cells :Generation 1 Single Crystal Si Cells having efficiencies in between 10-12 %.
Generation costs = $3.50 /Wp .
Generation 2 Thin Film SI Crystal having efficiency of 10 % but module cost is
pretty low . Generation Cost = $1.50 /Wp .
Generation 3 Efficiencies > 32 % .

Thermodynamic limit by Schokley and Queisser

Efficiency cant exceed 32 % but this method has an assumption that when the
electron and holes which are created by absorption of photos with energies
above band gap lose their excess energy in the form of heat .
But if this assumption is not considered this limit can be exceeded to about 65 %
if the excess energy is converted to higher photovoltages or photocurrents .

Solar Thermal Utilization

Solar Concentrators

Line Focus System cost of generation $3/Wp

Central receiver Cost of generation = $3/Wp
On Axis Tracking Sustem = $2.5/Wp

Solar Thermal To Electric Conversion

1. Solar Thermo Electric Power Converter :- uses ThermoElectric and
ThermoVoltaic Devices
2. Solar ThermoPhotoVoltaic :- Convert Solar Energy To Thermal radiation To
Electricity
3. Concentrated PhotoVoltaic
4. Concentrated Solar Thermochemical Process :- Solar Energy -> Heat
Energy -> Chemical Energy
a. Water Splitting
b. Solar Thermal Decarbonization

Technologies in process :Negative reflractive index materials .

Photonic Up Converter And Down Converter Up converter joins two or more
photons to generate a new photon with less wavelength(more energy) eg
infrared light to visible light.
Photonic crystals :- Modify the propagation of light .