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The Shockley–Queisser limit, zoomed in near the region of peak efficiency. In a traditional solid-state semiconductor such as silicon, a solar cell is made from two doped crystals, one an n-type semiconductor, which has extra free electrons, and the other a p-type semiconductor, which is lacking free electrons, referred to as "holes."
The theoretical performance of a solar cell was first studied in depth in the 1960s, and is today known as the Shockley–Queisser limit. The limit describes several loss mechanisms that are inherent to any solar cell design. The first are the losses due to blackbody radiation, a loss mechanism that affects any material object above absolute zero.
The Shockley–Queisser limit for the efficiency of a single-junction solar cell under unconcentrated sunlight at 273 K. This calculated curve uses actual solar spectrum data, and therefore the curve is wiggly from IR absorption bands in the atmosphere. This efficiency limit of ~34% can be exceeded by multijunction solar cells.
Third-generation photovoltaic cells are solar cells that are potentially able to overcome the Shockley–Queisser limit of 31–41% power efficiency for single bandgap solar cells. This includes a range of alternatives to cells made of semiconducting p-n junctions ("first generation") and thin film cells ("second generation").
Breakdown of the causes for the Shockley-Queisser limit. The black height is Shockley-Queisser limit for the maximum energy that can be extracted as useful electrical power in a conventional solar cell. However, a multiple-exciton-generation solar cell can also use some of the energy in the green area (and to a lesser extent the blue area ...
The theoretical studies are of practical use because they predict the fundamental limits of a solar cell, and give guidance on the phenomena that contribute to losses and solar cell efficiency. Band diagram of a solar cell, corresponding to very low current (horizontal Fermi level ), very low voltage (metal valence bands at same height), and ...
The Shockley–Queisser limit radiative efficiency limit, also known as the detailed balance limit, [105] [106] is about 31% under an AM1.5G solar spectrum at 1000 W/m 2, for a Perovskite bandgap of 1.55 eV. [107] This is slightly smaller than the radiative limit of gallium arsenide of bandgap 1.42 eV which can reach a radiative efficiency of 33%.
The Shockley-Queisser limit for the efficiency of a single-junction solar cell under unconcentrated sunlight. This calculated curve uses actual solar spectrum data, and therefore the curve is wiggly from IR absorption bands in the atmosphere. This efficiency limit of about 34% can be exceeded by multijunction solar cells.