Abstract & Overview
Today's most efficient technology for the generation of electricity from solar radiation is the use of multi-junction solar cells made of III-V compound semiconductors. Efficiencies up to 39% have already been reported under concentrated sunlight. These solar cells have initially been developed for powering satellites in space and are now starting to explore the terrestrial energy market through the use of photovoltaic concentrator systems. This opens a huge potential market for the application of compound semiconductor materials due to the large areas that are necessary to harvest sufficient amounts of energy from the sun. Concentrator systems using III-V solar cells have shown to be ecological and could play an important role for the sustainable energy generation of the future. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)