Influence of Ti Layers on the Efficiency of Solar Cells and the Reduction of Heat Transfer in Building-Integrated Photovoltaics

Abstract

This study examined the potential application of metallic coatings to mitigate the adverse effects of ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) light on photovoltaic modules. Titanium coatings were applied on low-iron glass surfaces using magnetron sputtering at powers of 1000, 1250, 1500, 1750, 2000, and 2500 W. The module with uncoated glass served as a reference. The Ti layer thickness varied from 7 nm to 20 nm. Transmittance and reflectance spectra were used to calculate visible light transmittance Lt, UV light transmittance Ltuv, solar transmittance g, and visible light reflectance Lr. The obtained parameters indicated that the thinnest Ti layer (1000 W) coating did not significantly affect light transmittance, but thicker layers did, altering the Lt, g, and Lr factors. However, every sample noticeably changed Ltuv, probably due to the natural formation of a UV-reflective thin TiO2 layer. The differences in fill factor (FF) were minimal, but thicker coatings resulted in lower open-circuit voltages (Uoc) and short-circuit currents (Isc), leading to a reduction in power conversion efficiency (PCE). Notably, a Ti coating deposited at 2500 W reduced the power of the photovoltaic module by 78% compared to the uncoated sample but may protect modules against the unwanted effects of overheating.

Keywords

• titanium coating
• solar cell
• physical vapour deposition
• magnetron sputtering
• photovoltaics
• building-integrated photovoltaic