Photovoltaic Conversion of Concentrated Sunlight

Recent achievements in sunlight concentration techniques haveincreased the potential of solar power as a viable source ofrenewable energy. Through its critical analysis of current methods,Photovoltaic Conversion of Concentrated Sunlight provides acomprehensive treatment of the issues involved in the creation ofan efficient and cost-effective sustainable power resource. Theauthors introduce significant new original research and offer aninsight into previously inaccessible Russian studies. Logicallystructured, the text presents both theoretical and practicaladvances in the field. Features include:

* Discussion of fabrication problems for both terrestrial and spacephotovoltaic installations

* Investigation of the impact of resistive losses on the operationof solar cells and new procedures for measuring components ofinternal resistance

* Explanation of the semiconductor physics underlyingphotovoltaics

* Examination of the most efficient concentrator solar cellstructures and materials plus exploration of ways to improve cellperformance

* Original theoretical and experimental results on luminescencephenomena in concentrator cells

* Useful measurement techniques for the determination of diagnosticcell parameters

* Analysis of energy characteristics of photovoltaic installationswith high and low concentration ratios

An invaluable asset to industrialists and academics concerned withsemiconductors and photovoltaics, this book will also serveenvironmental scientists through its examination of the problemsassociated with large-scale use of this ecological technology.