Bibliothèque de L'IMIST/CNRST

1 The Grand Energy Challenge -- 2 Status of Solar Photovoltaics.- 3 Physics of Solar Cells -- 4 Manufacturing of Wafer-Si Solar Cells and Modules -- 5 Roadblocks to Terawatt Solar Photovoltaics.- 6 Pathways to Terawatt Solar Photovoltaics -- 7 Final Remarks.

Solar energy will undoubtedly become a main source of energy in our life by the end of this century, but how big of a role will photovoltaics play in this new energy infrastructure? Besides cost and efficiency, there are other barriers for current solar cell technologies to become a noticeable source of energy in the future. Availability of raw materials, energy input, storage of solar electricity, and recycling of dead modules can all prevent or hinder a tangible impact by solar photovoltaics. This book is intended for readers with minimal technical background and aims to explore not only the fundamentals but also major issues in large-scale deployment of solar photovoltaics. Thought-provoking ideas to overcoming some of the barriers are discussed.