| | |  | Solar Power | Home » » Third Generation Photovoltaics: Advanced Solar Energy Conversion (Springer Series in Photonics) | | | | | | | Description: | | Photovoltaics, the direct conversion of sunlight to electricity, is now the fastest growing technology for electricity generation. Present "first generation" products use the same silicon wafers as in microelectronics. "Second generation" thin-films, now entering the market, have the potential to greatly improve the economics by eliminating material costs. Martin Green, one of the world’s foremost photovoltaic researchers, argues in this book that "second generation" photovoltaics will eventually reach its own material cost constraints, engendering a "third generation" of high performance thin-films. The book explores, self-consistently, the energy conversion potential of advanced approaches for improving photovoltaic performance and outlines possible implementation paths. | | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Martin A. Green | | Hardcover:
| 172 pages | | Publisher:
| Springer | | Publication Date:
| August 13, 2003 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 3540401377 | | Product Width:
| 161.5 centimeters | | Product Height:
| 238.0 centimeters | | Product Weight:
| 0.86 pounds | | Package Length:
| 9.4 inches | | Package Width:
| 6.1 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.7 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.85 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 4 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 4 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
 On the subject of thermodynamic limits...Oct 07, 2011
By Bill Freeman
I wish to alert the reader interested in the thermodynamic aspects of solar energy conversion to another amazing book:
Endoreversible Thermodynamics of Solar Energy Conversion, A. de Vos
This is a complex but important subject, and I found that both these books will help the reader. Green's book is more semiconductor-centric, while de Vos presents a more general theoretical model. The book by Nelson is also a good starting point for device physics, referencing both the Green and de Vos books on thermo material.
 Difficult to followSep 07, 2011
By Teddy
I found this book fairly difficult to follow, and the notation was a bit clumsy. Also, it is very general in the way it deals with the topics. It is good for certain topics, like the timescale of absorption of photons in a solar cell and how fast the excited electrons cool, however the section on the thermodynamics I found to be fairly difficult to follow. I think that the book "The Physics of Solar Cells" by Nielson is much easier to follow.
 OK but not well organized and not very clear on many areas...for graduate level onlyJul 27, 2011
By jacke chen
This book is not for undergraduate level students. Many equations are not derived but just presented in the book assuming you know all the details. To read this book, you will need background in Thermal Physics and Semiconductor Physics (PN junction). Also, the continuity of ideas are not well organized in each chapter and jumping around without pointing out the significance of it. One need to work on the exercises of each chapter in order to grasp a better understanding in the text. Different ideas are tossing around inside the book's chapters with no practical importance at all. All useful infomation is contained in the first 5 chapters and readers can neglect the rest of the books since it would not help you in any way in practice. (I would call those device ideas presented after chapter 5 : "imaginary devices" that will never happen in your life time)
For engineer/scientist who wants to be exposed in this field (for the first time), Professor Peter Wurful's book "Physics of Solar Cells" is a much better book and a lot easier to read. (Also very well organized and presented in a systemical way.) I strongly recommend people to read Peter Wurful's book before reading this book, otherwise you will be VERY frustrated.
It is not a bad book but..... not suitable for most of engineers.....except for people with very strong background in this field. Hence only 2 stars!
5 of 27 found the following review helpful:
 Third Generation Photovoltaics: Advanced Solar Energy Conversion (Springer Series in Photonics)Mar 11, 2008
By James V. Masi
"Jim Masi"
Martin Green has done it again. Just what the researcher and applications scientist needs. Well done!
Third Generation Photovoltaics: Advanced Solar Energy Conversion (Springer Series in Photonics)
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