Annotated Summary

Tyagi V.V., Nurul A.A. Rahim, N.A. Rahim, Jeyraj A./L. Selvaraj (2013) Progress in solar PV technology: Research and achievement. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 20 443-461.
Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2012.09.028.

This article focuses on the efficiency of solar PV technology in the world. The efficiency of the solar cell depends on the materials used and their costs. Different material types of solar cells were compared. Monocrystalline cells have the best efficiency, polycrystalline cells have the lowest cost, lightweight and are environmentally friendly, and lastly, the thin-film solar cells are less expensive as it uses few materials. There are several main factors that will affect cell efficiency. For factor on the temperature of the solar cell, efficiency and temperature are indirectly proportional. Therefore cooling is required at areas with highly concentrated sunlight. For the factor of dust affecting the cell efficiency, because it may block the sun's ray onto the PV modules, dust density and efficiency are directly proportional. Regular cleaning is suggested to achieve constant high performance. Lastly, the level of solar irradiance will determine the performance of the PV. The article highlighted the environmental impact of solar PV technology. The energy produced by the solar PV cell is clean and safe compared to coal and fossil fuel. This technology would be a good potential renewable energy source. However, at the end of each PV cell lifecycle, they should be recycled and disposed of safely to maintain any environmental harm to a minimum. If they are not disposed of properly, it might be toxic to the environment. The purpose of this article is to display to the world that solar PV technology can assume an important role to prevent further environmental pollution from the excessive use of fossil fuel for energy production.