Nanocrystalline TiO₂ solar cells contributing to the national energy generation

Abstract

The production of electricity from photovoltaics continues to attract worldwide interest as a power source for distributed energy generation. This paper illustrates the breadth of photovoltaic technology and a range of issues that need to be addressed in the process of achieving economical conversion of solar radiation to electricity. It focuses the dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSCs) using nanocrystalline TiO2, which provide a promising alternative concept to conventional p-n junction photovoltaic devices. The technique of sol-gel derived TiO2 coating on a glass substrate is described, and SEM micrographs of the prepared film samples of nanoparticles are presented. A thorough analysis of challenges associated with solid-state DSSCs and several ways towards higher efficiency and reliability and lower cost are demonstrated. In addition, it outlines a research aiming at enabling nanocrystalline TiO2 solar cells to be a significant contributor to national energy generation. Copyright © 2009, Inderscience Publishers.