Estimating Maximum Efficiency: Solar Cells

This lecture focuses on estimating the maximum electrical efficiency of monocrystalline silicon solar cells. The instructor begins by discussing the optical energy of incoming photons and how to express this energy in electron volts. The relationship between the number of photons and their energy is established, leading to the calculation of the electrical energy harvested from electrons. The instructor explains that the maximum efficiency is determined by the ratio of the electrical energy to the optical energy. Key parameters such as the built-in voltage and the energy of a typical solar photon are introduced, with specific values provided for monocrystalline silicon. The lecture concludes with a simple calculation that demonstrates how these values yield an estimated efficiency of approximately one-third, illustrating the principles of quantum efficiency and energy conversion in solar cells.