Solar Energy Materials-Evolution and Niche Applications: A Literature Review

The demand for energy has been a global concern over the years due to the ever increasing population which still generate electricity from non-renewable energy sources. Presently, energy produced worldwide is mostly from fossil fuels, which are non-renewable sources and release harmful by-products that are greenhouses gases. The sun is considered a source of clean, renewable energy, and the most abundant. With silicon being the element most used for the direct conversion of solar energy into electrical energy, solar cells are the technology corresponding to the solution of the problem of energy on our planet. Solar cell fabrication has undergone extensive study over the past several decades and improvement from one generation to another. The first solar cells were studied and grown on silicon wafers, in particular single crystals that formed silicon-based solar cells. With the further development in thin films, dye-sensitized solar cells and organic solar cells have significantly enhanced the efficiency of the cell. The manufacturing cost and efficiency hindered further development of the cell, although consumers still have confidence in the crystalline silicon material, which enjoys a fair share in the market for photovoltaics. This present review work provides niche and prominent features including the benefits and prospects of the first (mono-poly-crystalline silicon), second (amorphous silicon and thin films), and third generation (quantum dots, dye synthesized, polymer, and perovskite) of materials evolution in photovoltaics.

Automated summary

The demand for energy has been a global concern due to population growth and the use of non-renewable energy sources. Solar cells, as a renewable energy technology, have great potential to address this problem. The fabrication of solar cells has undergone extensive study and improvement over the years, leading to the evolution of different materials. However, manufacturing costs and efficiency remain challenges for further development of solar cells.