Simulations of Photovoltaic and Thermophotovoltaic Solar Cells—Transport and Optics

Dear Colleagues,

Numerical modeling has paved the path to obtaining higher efficiency solar cells that can even endure extreme environmental conditions. As a consequence of such efforts, carrier transport mechanisms in photovoltaic materials have been continuously elucidated. Presently, the dire need for improved solar cells still compels the research field to exhaust numerical modeling techniques to seek alternative materials and computational approaches. While researchers are looking for the optimization methods of the optoelectrical performance of the most commonly employed Si-based solar cells, high conversion efficiencies of perovskite, CIGS, and CdTe solar cells have also been extensively studied with the aid of simulations. The toxicity of the utilized materials has encouraged researchers to pursue the numerical examination of other options, such as CZTS. Likewise, the optical modeling of solar cells has been an indispensable element for full understanding. Light trapping in thin films with nanostructures has long been the driving force of the contributions which have given birth to thermophotovoltaic designs with the incorporation of emerging nanophotonic elements. Accordingly, this Special Issue of Clean Technologies is welcoming publications on the following highlighted topics:

• Discussion of the electrical modeling of improved solar cells (Si-based, perovskite, CIGS, CIGSe, CdTe, InGaN MQW, etc.);
• Numerical methods employed to investigate the performance of a solar cell with a low environmental impact;
• Numerical assessment of the influence of the external conditions (e.g., radiation, temperature, moisture) on the performance of a solar cell;
• Improved numerical approaches adopting new models to analyze solar cells;
• Complete optoelectrical modeling/assessment of solar cells;
• Optical means to model the improvement of the light management in solar cells (e.g., light trapping, concentrators);
• Efficient thermophotovoltaics designs.

Dr. Atilla Ozgur Cakmak
Guest Editor

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• numerical simulation
• SCAPS
• Sentaurus
• COMSOL
• optical simulations
• nanophotonics
• drift–diffusion
• charge transport