Light and energy - dye solar cells for the 21st century

Dye solar cells (DSC) are the first commercially available third generation solar cell technology. DSC have been subject of increasing laboratory research since first reported by Gratzel in 1991 [Nature 353 (1991) 737]. Much of that work has been involved with laboratory scale cells of less than 1 cm(2). The knowledge resources required to undertake research in DSC are much broader than those necessary for traditional solar cell technologies such as silicon. These elements are discussed and related to the operation of the DSC, from which the relative advantages of DSC are gleaned. The experience gained from laboratory work has formed the basis for market expectations concerning performance and stability of DSC in commercial applications. However, it has been found that there is a new set of variables to be addressed when taking the technology from the laboratory cell level to the module and product level. This paper describes the background cell technology and the module designs considered for the first production DSC modules and explains the reasons for selection of the preferred design for outdoor applications. A number of alternative product designs that are expected to be commercially viable in the next several years are discussed. In conclusion some tandem designs demonstrate the potential of DSC for integrated products to serve the energy market. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.