2.626 Fundamentals of Photovoltaics, Fall 2008
Name
2-626-fall-2008/contents/index.htm
Size
32.46 KB
Format
HTML
Checksum (MD5)
54b440d5dafa639649981a4d33433ed2
Author(s)
Buonassisi, Tonio
Alternative Title
Fundamentals of Photovoltaics
Date Issued
December 2008
Abstract
In this course students will learn how solar cells convert light into electricity, how solar cells are manufactured, how solar cells are evaluated, what technologies are currently on the market, and how to evaluate the risk and potential of existing and emerging solar cell technologies. We examine the potential & drawbacks of currently manufactured technologies (single- and multi-crystalline silicon, micromorph tandem cells, CdTe, CIGS, CPV, PVT), as well as pre-commercial technologies (organics, biomimetic, organic/inorganic hybrid, and nanostructure-based solar cells). Hands-on laboratory sessions explore how a solar cell works in practice. We scrutinize what limits solar cell performance and cost, and the major hurdles — technological, economic, and political — towards widespread substitution of fossil fuels. Students will apply this knowledge towards developing and critiquing a solar energy technology prospectus.
Subjects
thin films
student work
commercialization
semiconductor engineering
doped polymer
nanostructures
self-organized systems
alternative energy
manufacturing
quantum dots
global energy supply
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
Terms of Use
Persistent DSpace Link
