Photovoltaic plant losses: spectral mismatch

Abstract

Understanding solar photovoltaic plant losses, including optical and electrical losses, is vital to developing mitigating strategies and ensuring the economic viability of solar projects. The most significant optical loss is spectral mismatch. Spectral mismatch losses include thermalization and transmission. Spectral mismatch accounts for approximately 60% to 65% of total energy losses in conventional solar panels, with thermalization constituting around 2/3 and transmission representing the remaining. This paper shares the essential fundamentals underlying spectral mismatch, quantitatively reports spectral mismatch losses for various conditions, and discusses the mitigating strategies and their potential effectiveness. An intercomparison of the reviewed mitigation technologies is provided for PV stakeholders and researchers, comparing commercial readiness, cost, manufacturability, and efficiency improvement potential. Mitigation technologies include cell modification and spectral conversion, both of which are discussed in detail, including multijunction structures, co-sensitization, hot carrier and hybrid thermoelectric solar cells, quantum dot and quantum well solar cells, upconversion, downconversion, and downshifting.

Keywords

Solar energy / photovoltaic / PV / energy losses / energy efficiency / spectral mismatch

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