Title: Photovoltaic Energy Conversion: Status and Future Technologies
Speaker: Vikram Dalal, Whitney Professor
Abstract: Photovoltaic energy conversion has now become a major power generation technology with a total installed capacity of ~ 100 GW . Crystalline Si technology dominates today, but there is need to further reduce cost particularly for applications in developing countries. In some of the countries in Africa, only 2% of the population has access to grid connected electricity. The provision of inexpensive solar power is a life-changing technology for them. In this talk, I will discuss the material and device physics of some of the newer PV materials and technologies, particularly organic and hybrid inorganic/organic materials which promise to drastically lower the cost of PV power .