Photovoltaic Solar Energy: From Fundamentals to Applications

<p>Solar PV is now the third most important renewable energy source, after hydro and wind power, in terms of global installed capacity. Bringing together the expertise of international PV specialists <i>Photovoltaic Solar Energy: From Fundamentals to Applications</i> provides a comprehensive and up-to-date account of existing PV technologies in conjunction with an assessment of technological developments.</p> <p>Key features:</p> <ul> <li>Written by leading specialists active in concurrent developments in material sciences, solar cell research and application-driven R&D.</li> <li>Provides a basic knowledge base in light, photons and solar irradiance and basic functional principles of PV.</li> <li>Covers characterization techniques, economics and applications of PV such as silicon, thin-film and hybrid solar cells.</li> <li>Presents a compendium of PV technologies including: crystalline silicon technologies; chalcogenide thin film solar cells; thin-film silicon based PV technologies; organic PV and III-Vs; PV concentrator technologies; space technologies and economics, life-cycle and user aspects of PV technologies.</li> <li>Each chapter presents basic principles and formulas as well as major technological developments in a contemporary context with a look at future developments in this rapidly changing field of science and engineering.</li> </ul> <p>Ideal for industrial engineers and scientists beginning careers in PV as well as graduate students undertaking PV research and high-level undergraduate students.</p>