Study of solar light redirecting films for enhancing the power conversion efficiency of solar cells

光伏（PV）太阳能电池将太阳光直接转化为电能，是迄今为止最可持续的清洁能源技术。为了促进太阳能电池的更广泛应用，已经做出了巨大的努力和投资来开发更高效和更经济的光伏太阳能电池。一个典型的太阳能电池是由前接触（母线和手指）收集电子，这占约9-10%的PV模块。汇流条和指状物由金属制成，如银、铝或铜，这些金属不透明，会反射相当大一部分阳光，从而减少了太阳光的收集，从而降低了光伏组件的效率（约2%）。加拿大太阳能公司是光伏行业的世界领导者（世界第三大），一直在大力投资开发和采用新技术，以改善其产品。在这个拟议的项目中，Yuning教授和加拿大太阳能公司将共同开发一种技术，通过在前触点上使用阳光重定向膜来最大限度地提高光伏模块的效率。将探讨两种办法。第一种是基于聚合物薄膜的特殊微结构表面，它将反射和重定向大部分阳光到有源区。第二种方法将使用一种聚合物薄膜，这种薄膜含有纳米颗粒，可以将太阳光散射到活动电池区域的表面。通过这次合作开发的新太阳能光伏板将促进加拿大更广泛地使用太阳能光伏，这将有助于减少加拿大的化石燃料消耗和减少二氧化碳排放，改善加拿大人的生活。

Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells, which convert sunlight directly into electrical power, is the most sustainable andclean energy technology available up to date. Tremendous efforts and investment have been made to developmore efficient and affording PV solar cells to promote a wider use of solar cells. A typical solar cell iscomprised of front contact (busbars and fingers) to collect electrons, which occupy about 9-10% of the PVmodule. The busbars and fingers are made of metals such as silver, aluminum or copper, which are nottransparent and reflect a significant portion of sunlight, reducing the sun light harvesting and thus the efficiency(~2%) of a PV module.Canadian Solar, a world leader in the PV industry (the third largest in the world), been investing heavily on thedevelopment and adoption of new technologies that can improve their products. In this proposed project, Prof.Yuning and Canadian Solar will work together to develop a technology to minimize improve the PV moduleefficiency by utilizing a sunlight redirecting film on the front contacts. Two approaches will be explored. Thefirst one is based on the special microstructured surface of the polymer film, which will reflect ad redirect mostof the sunlight to the active area. The second approach will use a polymer film, which contain nanoparticlesthat will scatter the sunlight to the surface of the active cell area.The new solar PV panels developed through this collaboration will promote a wider use of solar PV in Canada,which will contribute to less fossil fuel consumption and reduced CO2 emission in Canada, and the bettermentof the lives of Canadians.