Customer Reviews

Optoelectronics of Solar Cells (SPIE Press Monograph Vol. PM115)

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This book is a must have for those who want a basic and general overview of solar cells and photovoltaics from the thermodynamic perspective. The author rises above the often petty disputes between one technology and another and puts solar cells in a framework from the photon's perspective rather than the electron. This means that people can understand the risks and benefits of using a particular solar cell material before they actually get down to the nuts and bolts of building the device. What is the expected performance of a solar cell given its optical properties? This book describes how someone can determine this. If the reader wants to learn more, the bibliography is useful and I also recommend Clean Electricity from Photovoltaics (Series on Photoconversion of Solar Energy, Volume 1).

On the downside, I did notice that I could not see inside the book before purchasing. That would have been helpful. The author does, however, have a description of the table of contents at his web site, together with a list of publications, which obviously inspired the book.

One might think that the book is dated, having been completed in 2002, but the global and thermodynamic approach allows it to remain relevant now and into the future.

This book provides a simple and good review of solar cells and PV economics. This book is relevant in this time of heightened interest in PV and renewable energy worldwide. The concepts and ideas are presented in a simple language which is very helpful to those who are not very familiar with the PV technology, and especially the freshman students. I have referred this book for preparing my course on "Solar Cells and Related Materials" and my students find this book useful and reader friendly.

This book provides a basic introduction to PV solar cells. Its very readable, but for the money, there are better products.