ECE 632 - Photovoltaic Energy Conversion

Physical source of solar radiation; direct & diffuse radiations; review of electronic materials; semiconductor concepts; optical absorption; generation and recombination processes in semiconductors; operating principles of photovoltaic devices; homo- and hetero- junction devices; equivalent circuits; quantum efficiency; current-voltage characteristics; Efficiency limits in photovoltaic devices; short circuit current and open circuit voltage losses; temperature effect; material-imposed limits; theoretical and practical limits; Photovoltaic device design and fabrication; silicon-based devices; gallium arsenide devices; thin film devices; device simulation; fabrication technologies; Advanced photovoltaic concepts; nano-structure and organic PV devices; System-level photovoltaics; module structure and design; back-end electronics; stand-alone and grid-interactive systems; photovoltaic hybrid systems.