Integrating Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Cells and Supercapacitors for Sustainable Energy Devices: A Review

Abstract

Hybrid systems have gained significant attention among researchers and scientists worldwide due to their ability to integrate solar cells and supercapacitors. Subsequently, this has led to rising demands for green energy, miniaturization and mini-electronic wearable devices. These hybrid devices will lead to sustainable energy becoming viable and fossil-fuel-based sources of energy gradually being replaced. A solar photovoltaic (SPV) system is an electronic device that mainly functions to convert photon energy to electrical energy using a solar power source. It has been widely used in developed countries given that they have advanced photovoltaic (PV) technology that reduces dependence on fossil fuels for energy generation. Furthermore, a supercapacitor is an alternative solution for replacing heavy batteries and it is a system with a prominent high power density and a long life cycle. Its unique properties of high capacitance with low voltage limits lead to this highly in-demand material being incorporated into goods and services that are produced by the electrical and electronics industries. It is another option for grid-based power or large batteries. Since supercapacitors have the ability to store huge amounts of energy, they allow for a novel system that integrates supercapacitors with solar cells in which energy generation and energy storage are combined into one system. This paper explores the common materials that are used for solar cells and supercapacitors, the working mechanisms, the effectiveness of the integrated device and the technical challenges that are encountered when refining this device. Hence, this review serves as a guide for choosing the right materials and methods in order to produce an integrated PV solar cell–energy storage device for various applications.

Integration of supercapacitor with solar cell based on NiO 2 and CdS nanopillars embedded in porous anodic alumina templates

“…Several review papers on various PVSC, [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] EES devices, [29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48] and integrated systems [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] have been published recently. As much as 90% of the worldwide PV market is currently dominated by the first-generation Sibased PVSCs, which have a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) as high as 27%,…”

“…As the most valuable renewable and pure energy source, solar energy has gained great practical interest 1‐29,45‐58 . There are two main types of solar energy technologies that are used nowadays to convert solar light into electricity: concentrated solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV).…”

“…5,6 This energy can be used to spin a turbine or power an engine to generate electricity. In contrast, a photovoltaic solar cell (PVSC) is a p-n junction device with a large surface area that uses the photovoltaic (PV) effect to transform the adsorbed solar energy into electricity [1][2][3][4][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] without using any machines or moving parts. However, for a given geographical location, solar energy intensity varies greatly depending on the season and the time of day because of the relative motion of the sun.…”

“…Several review studies have examined the numerous ways that PVSCs and energy storage devices can be combined into a single component during the past several years [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] for a variety of applications. These publications classify and identify earlier attempts to create integrated devices, including PVSC/SC, 2-6 PVSC/thermal, 7,8 hierarchical PVSC/battery/SC, 9 and PVSC/fuel cell/SC systems.…”

Anti-Reflective Zeolite Coating for Implantable Bioelectronic Devices

“…[ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. In comparison, solar cell technology is characterized by a higher energy density coming from photoelectric transduction and is more effective for energy harvesters [ 3 , 4 , 20 ]. Even just a few minutes of direct sunlight exposure of the subcutaneous implanted solar cells can provide enough energy to an implantable medical device for an entire day [ 21 , 22 ].…”