Material Design Challenges for Photovoltaics

Solar energy has by far the largest potential of all renewable energy sources and photovoltaics is the key technology to utilize this potential. At present photovoltaics technology ranges from widely employed first generation silicon wafer based solar cells to third generation multijunction cells used in space. Currently, second generation thinfilm based solar cells have only a small market share, but recent progress in manufacturing technology where for example the entire solar cell is printed on a flexible substrate in an inkjet like process opens up the possibility of solar energy becoming cost competitive with fossil fuels in a few years. Even further progress in photovoltaics is possible in the future with new materials and nanotechnology. I will analyze the current state of terrestrial photovoltaics from a technological, scientific, and economical point of view and outline promising new approaches to more efficient solar energy conversion in the near and long term future.