A Quantum Dot Solar Concentrator (QDSC) is based on the Luminescent Solar Concentrator (LSC), a concept first
introduced in the 1960s. LSCs consist of a flat plate of polymer material doped with a luminescent dye. A percentage of
incident insolation, absorbed and re-emitted by the dye molecules is trapped inside the plate by total internal reflection.
Reflective material situated on three of the edges and the back surface increases the trapping efficiency of the plate.
Through successive reflection events light is concentrated onto a photovoltaic (PV) cell positioned on the fourth edge of
the plate. Degradation of luminescent dyes prevented LSCs from being fully developed. A QDSC replaces luminescent
dyes with semiconductor nanocrystals known as quantum dots (QDs). Passivation of QD cores with shells of higher
band gap material is expected to provide increased stability. QDs offer further advantages such as broad absorption
spectra to utilize more of the solar spectrum and size tunability that allows spectral matching of the QDs emission to the
peak efficiency of PV cells.
Small-scale QDSCs have been fabricated using QDs bought commercially. The QDs have an emission wavelength of
600nm, close to the peak efficiency of a typical silicon PV cell. The systems were electrically characterized using a 4 cm
monocrystalline PV cell optically matched to the QDSC edge with silicon oil. To investigate the effect of shape and size
on concentrator efficiency, four different sized quadratic, two triangular and three circular QDSCs of various diameters
were fabricated.
Spectroscopic measurements have been undertaken for a range of different quantum dot (QD) types and transparent host materials for use in a novel solar energy-concentrating device, a Quantum Dot Solar Concentrator1 (QDSC). A QDSC comprises QDs seeded in materials such as plastics and glasses that are suitable for incorporation into buildings where photovoltaic cells attached to the edges convert direct and diffuse solar energy into electricity for use in the building. High transparency in the matrix material and QDs with a large Stokes shift are essential for an efficient QDSC. An optimum matrix material for a QDSC has been determined based on absorption characteristics and an optimum commercially available QD type has been chosen using steady-state absorption, photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy of QDs in solution and solid matrices.
Spectroscopic measurements have been undertaken for a range of different quantum dot (QD) types and transparent host materials for use in a novel solar energy-concentrating device, a Quantum Dot Solar Concentrator1 (QDSC). A QDSC comprises QDs seeded in materials such as plastics and glasses that are suitable for incorporation into buildings where photovoltaic cells attached to the edges convert direct and diffuse solar energy into electricity for use in the building. High transparency in the matrix material and QDs with a large Stokes shift are essential for an efficient QDSC. An optimum matrix material for a QDSC has been determined based on absorption characteristics and an optimum commercially available QD type has been chosen using steady-state absorption, photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy of QDs in solution and solid matrices.
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