Photovoltaics Beyond Silicon

The world demand for energy is dramatically increasing, especially for renewable non-fossil-based sources of electricity. The conversion of light from the sun into electrical energy, using photovoltaics, is one avenue that is being explored to meet these challenges both on the earth and in space. Photovoltaics Beyond Silicon: Innovative Materials, Sustainable Processing Technologies, and Novel Device Structures presents the latest innovations in materials, processing and devices to produce electricity via advanced, sustainable photovoltaics technologies. It provides an overview of the novel materials and device architectures that have been developed to optimize energy conversion efficiencies and minimize environmental impacts. Advances in technologies for harnessing solar energy are extensively discussed, with topics including materials processing, device fabrication, sustainability of materials and manufacturing, and the current state-of-the-art. Contributions from leading international experts discuss the applications, challenges and future prospects of research in this increasingly vital field, providing a valuable resource for students and researchers working in this area. A comprehensive overview and detailed discussion of solar energy technology options for sustainable energy conversion Provides an understanding of the environmental challenges to be overcome and discusses the importance of efficient materials utilization for clean energy Looks at how to design materials processing and optimize device fabrication; metrics such as power-to-weight ratio, effectiveness at EOL compared to BOL, life-cycle analysis, etc