11.17 Photovoltaic Devices
One of the technologies closely associated with renewable energy is the photovoltaic solar cell, which converts sunlight into electrical energy. The recent rise in fossil fuel prices encouraged investment in both existing and start-up photovoltaic technology companies. This investment has resulted in an increase in the efficiency of polysilicon devices but has still not brought the reduction in manufacturing costs required if generation of electricity using solar energy is to become cost effective.
It is often claimed that the photovoltaic devices industry will, like the semiconductor industry, benefit from economies and increases in efficiency. Unfortunately ‘Moore’s Law’ is not applicable to photovoltaic devices due to limits on efficiency and the amount of silicon needed for each device.
