Design and Response of High‐Efficiency, Planar, Doped Luminescent Solar Concentrators Using Organic–Inorganic Di‐Ureasil Waveguides. Issue 3 (15th December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kaniyoor, Adarsh; McKenna, Barry; Comby, Steve; Evans, Rachel C.
• Is Part Of: Advanced optical materials. Volume 4:Issue 3(2016:Mar.)
• Page Start: 444
• Page End: 456
• Publication Date: 2015-12-15
• Subjects: di‐ureasils, Förster resonance energy transfer -- luminescent solar concentrators -- solar concentrators, waveguides, organic–inorganic hybrid materials; Optical materials -- Periodicals; Photonics -- Periodicals; 620.11295
• DOI: 10.1002/adom.201500412
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2195-1071

Abstract

Abstract : Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) offer significant potential for solar energy capture in the urban environment. Here, the first example of a planar, doped LSC using Lumogen Red (LR305) as the luminophore and a di‐ureasil organic–inorganic hybrid as the waveguide is reported. The di‐ureasil waveguide offers several advantages over organic polymer waveguides including facile solution‐processing from benign solvents and extension of the absorption window through energy transfer. Spectral evaluation using absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopies is used to optimize the LSC composition, yielding optical efficiencies as high as 14.5% (300–800 nm). A power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 0.54% is obtained for the champion LSC coupled to a c‐Si PV cell using the di‐ureasil precursor as an optical glue to minimize interfacial losses. Finally, a simple figure of merit to evaluate the performance of LSC‐solar cell composite systems is proposed that enables comparison of the actual improvement in the efficiency of solar cells due to the attachment of the LSC, irrespective of the LSC design, architecture or materials. A PCE of 17.4% for the solar cell in the emission region of the LSC is obtained, which is a remarkable improvement of ≈40% over its AM 1.5G value. Abstract : Planar doped luminescent solar concentrators exhibiting high optical concentration efficiencies are created using an organic–inorganic hybrid waveguide. The di‐ureasil waveguide extends the spectral absorption window through energy transfer and functions as an optical adhesive to minimize interface losses. Selective engineering of the composition through spectral evaluation yields a high optical efficiency of 14.5% (300–800 nm) and a power conversion efficiency of 0.54% upon coupling to a c‐Si photovoltaic cell.