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Solar power

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2D material photovoltaics

2D material photovoltaics is the use of atomically thin materials such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides to generate electricity from sunlight, as absorbers or cell components.

2D perovskite solar cell

A 2D perovskite solar cell is a photovoltaic device whose light absorber is a layered two-dimensional metal halide perovskite, offering better moisture stability but lower efficiency than 3D perovskites.

2D Ruddlesden–Popper perovskite solar cells

A Ruddlesden–Popper 2D perovskite solar cell is a photovoltaic device with a layered halide perovskite absorber, trading some efficiency of 3D perovskites for better resistance to moisture, light, and heat.

2D/3D mixed-dimensional perovskite films

2D/3D mixed-dimensional perovskite films are halide perovskite films combining a 3D photoactive phase with 2D layers that resist moisture and suppress ion migration in solar cells.

2D/3D mixed-dimensional perovskite solar cell

A 2D/3D mixed-dimensional perovskite solar cell is a photovoltaic device pairing an efficient 3D metal halide perovskite absorber with stable 2D perovskite layers for moisture and thermal stability.

2D/3D perovskite heterostructure solar cells

A 2D/3D perovskite heterostructure solar cell combines a layered 2D perovskite phase, usually a thin capping layer, with a 3D perovskite absorber to passivate defects and protect against degradation.

2D/3D perovskite interface

A 2D/3D perovskite interface is the boundary between a thin 2D perovskite layer and a 3D absorber in perovskite solar cells, passivating defects and blocking moisture.

2D/3D perovskite passivation

2D/3D perovskite passivation is a solar cell interface-engineering strategy in which a thin 2D perovskite layer on a 3D absorber passivates defects, reaching 25.32% efficiency.

2D/3D Ruddlesden–Popper perovskite passivation

2D/3D Ruddlesden–Popper perovskite passivation is an interface-engineering strategy in which a thin 2D Ruddlesden–Popper perovskite layer passivates the surface of a 3D perovskite solar-cell absorber.

2D/Si heterojunction solar cells

A 2D/Si heterojunction solar cell combines a two-dimensional material like MoS2 or graphene with crystalline silicon; reported MoS2/Si efficiencies reach 9.81%, with a modeled ceiling of 24.76%.

Abengoa

Abengoa was a Spanish engineering and renewable energy company founded in Seville in 1941, best known for concentrating solar power plants including Solana and PS10.

Additive engineering in perovskite solar cells

Additive engineering in perovskite solar cells is the addition of small quantities of chemical compounds to control crystallization, passivate defects, and improve power conversion efficiency and long-term operational stability of devices.

AgBiS2 nanocrystal solar cells

AgBiS2 nanocrystal solar cells are thin-film photovoltaic devices using a nontoxic silver bismuth sulfide nanocrystal absorber, first reported in 2016 with 6.3% efficiency and now reaching 10.84%.

Agrivoltaics

Agrivoltaics, also called agrophotovoltaics or dual-use solar, is a land-use arrangement combining crops, forage, or livestock with solar photovoltaic panels to produce food and electricity from the same land.

Akon Lighting Africa

Akon Lighting Africa is a for-profit solar electrification initiative launched in February 2014 by the singer Akon, Thione Niang, and Samba Bathily to bring solar power to African villages without electricity.

Al Dhafra solar farm

The Al Dhafra solar farm is a 2 GW solar power plant in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, inaugurated in 2023 and described as the world's largest single-site solar plant.

Alex Solar Complex

The Alex Solar Complex is a 278 MW photovoltaic power plant in Ceará, Brazil, the largest in the state when inaugurated by Elera Renováveis in 2021.

Alexandre Edmond Becquerel

Alexandre Edmond Becquerel (1820–1891) was a French physicist who in 1839 discovered the photovoltaic effect, the basis of solar power, and made the first color photographs.

All-inorganic perovskite solar cell

An all-inorganic perovskite solar cell is a photovoltaic device whose absorber is cesium lead halide such as CsPbI3, introduced in 2014 for better heat stability.

All-perovskite multi-junction solar cells

All-perovskite multi-junction solar cells are photovoltaic devices that stack perovskite absorbers with different bandgaps to split the solar spectrum, with two-terminal tandems reaching 30.1% efficiency.

All-perovskite tandem solar cell

An all-perovskite tandem solar cell is a photovoltaic device that stacks two perovskite absorbers of different bandgaps to beat single-junction efficiency limits, reaching a certified 30.1%.

Aluminum back surface field

An aluminum back surface field (Al-BSF) is a heavily aluminum-doped layer formed on the rear of a p-type silicon solar cell to suppress electron recombination at the metal contact.

Amonix

Amonix was an American solar company founded in Torrance, California, in 1989 that built high-concentration photovoltaic systems for utilities and set recognized efficiency records before its assets passed to Arzon Solar in 2014.

Amorphous silicon solar cell

An amorphous silicon solar cell is a thin-film photovoltaic device using non-crystalline silicon, first made at RCA in 1976 and now used chiefly in calculators and indoor devices, limited by light-induced degradation.

Andasol Solar Power Station

The Andasol Solar Power Station is a group of three 50 MW parabolic trough solar thermal plants in Granada, Spain, using molten-salt storage to generate power after sunset.

Anti-soiling coating

An anti-soiling coating is a thin functional layer applied to solar module glass, mirrors, or heliostats to reduce dust accumulation, since soiling can cut efficiency by up to 34%.

Anti-solvent dripping processing for perovskite solar cells

Anti-solvent dripping is a film-formation step for perovskite solar cells, introduced in 2014, in which a poor solvent dripped during spin coating triggers rapid crystallization.

Antimony selenide solar cell

An antimony selenide solar cell is a thin-film photovoltaic device using antimony selenide (Sb₂Se₃), an earth-abundant, low-toxicity absorber, as a candidate alternative to CdTe and CIGS, with record efficiencies of 10.12%.

Antimony sulfide selenide solar cells

Antimony sulfide selenide solar cells are thin-film photovoltaic devices using an antimony sulfoselenide absorber with a tunable 1.1–1.8 eV bandgap and record efficiencies of about 11%.

Antimony/bismuth chalcohalide absorbers

Antimony/bismuth chalcohalide absorbers are nontoxic semiconductor materials for solar cells that contain antimony or bismuth with chalcogen and halide anions, studied as stable alternatives to lead-halide perovskites.