Reexamination of the feasibility of a world-wide, photovoltaic energy grid

Abstract

The earth is irradiated daily by enough solar energy to fulfill all the world's energy needs by using photovolta ic systems . Such a world-wide energy grid would eliminate costly local energy storage systems . Furthermore , such a grid could take advantage of existing national energy grids. This concept is based three factors : 1) the ability to produce enough photovoltaic panels and 2) a feasible way of providing a cost-effective means of interconnecting the multitude of photovoltaic fields exists across the world and 3) the ability of the world's nations to reach agreements that make such a plan possible . The paper will discuss these issues.

Temperature dependence of the short circuit current and spectral responsivity of various kinds of crystalline silicon photovoltaic devices

“…28,29) These results are in qualitative agreement with the results of previous studies of the temperature dependence of c-Si PV devices. 4,19,20) Note that the SR in this study is normalized, so that its value at 25 °C is consistent with the corresponding I sc at 25 °C under the solar simulator [Eq. ( 2)], and its integrated value between 300 and 700 nm is independent of temperature (Fig.…”

“…SR is also important for estimating the PV device's performance under various conditions from that under standard test conditions (STC, namely, irradiance of 1 kW=m 2 , spectrum of AM1.5G, and device temperature of 25 °C), 18) and vice versa. It is known that the long-wavelength tail of the SR of various PV devices such as c-Si, 4,19,20) III-V compound semiconductors, [21][22][23] and amorphous silicon and CIS 24) shifts toward longer wavelengths as the device temperature increases, which should be taken into account to discuss the TC. 24,25) However, the detailed temperature dependences of the I sc and SR of various c-Si PV devices have not been systematically investigated thus far.…”