Science at the Edge
Engineering Seminar
February 20th,
2015
11:30 a.m., Room1400
Biomedical and Physical Sciences Building
Refreshments served at 11:15
a.m.
Sue Carter
Physics Department
University of California
Santa Cruz
The Future of Solar
Energy after the Big Crash
Abstract
The precipitous crash of
photovoltaic (PV) module prices over the last 5 years has made
the dream of generating renewable electricity at a cost
comparable to coal a potential reality, while also bankrupting
much of the US solar industry. While PV module prices are
close to meeting the goals set by the DOE’s Sunshot program
nearly 5 years early, the costs related to the balance
of systems, namely the costs associated with the land,
mounting hardware, grid electronics, installation labor and
permitting have remained stubbornly high. This dramatic shift
of costs has transitioned the solar energy field from one
focused on reducing module costs to one focused on increasing
power efficiency beyond the Shockley-Queisser Limit
(established over 40 years ago) and developing PV modules that
can be directly into existing building infrastructure.
In this talk, I will
provide an overview of the approaches we, and others, are
pursing to both increase power efficiency and reduce balance
of systems costs in order to make solar energy cost
competitive with energy generated from fossil fuels. For
example, by utilizing quantum confinement effects, more then
one electron can be collected for each incident photon (i.e.
over 100% quantum efficiency), thereby exceeding the long
standing Shockley-Queisser limit. In addition, the discovery
of perovskite materials has opened up a cost effective route
to tandem cells with efficiencies exceeding 30%. Finally,
wavelength-selectivity can be used to install PV modules
directly into building windows or over agriculture crops or
greenhouses to simultaneously grow food, generate electricity,
and harness thermal energy. I will conclude by discussing the
importance of developing models that accurately include
thermal modeling with electrical and optical modeling to
develop solar energy technologies that can efficiently utilize
the entire solar energy spectrum.
Bio
Carter earned her BA from
Kalamazoo College in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics and
her PhD from the University of Chicago in Physical Chemistry. She worked at AT&T
Bell Laboratories as a postdoctoral fellow and IBM Almaden
Research Center as a visiting researcher before joining the
faculty at University of California Santa Cruz in 1995. As a Professor of
Physics, Carter’s research has focused on thin film
optoelectronic devices, biophysics, and technologies for
sustainability. She is the Chair of the American Physical
Society Group for Energy Research, and has served on the
boards of the UC Energy Institute and the California Solar
Collaborative. At UCSC, she has served as Chair of Graduate
Council, the Vice Chair of the Committee of Planning and
Budget and is currently the Associate Dean of Graduate
Studies. Carter has also been actively involved with
entrepreneurship, launching 3 start-up companies ranging from
photovoltaic technologies to K-12 science education.
For further
information please contact Prof. Richard Lunt, Department of
Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at [log in to unmask]
Persons with disabilities have the right
to request and receive reasonable accommodation. Please call the
Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at
355-5135 at least one day prior to the seminar; requests
received after this date will be met when possible.