The course covers the basic physics of solar cells as well as their commercial application. The photovoltaic energy conversion as well as the loss mechanisms in solar cells will be discussed on the basis of thermodynamics, semiconductor and solid-state physics. The students will learn to assess different kinds of PV technologies as well as the potential of photovoltaics for world’s energy supply.

Contents: solar spectrum, energy and power density, principles of solid state and semiconductor physics, absorption and emission of light in semiconductors, generation and recombination in equilibrium and nonequilibrium, charge transport, quasi-Fermi levels, electrostatics of the pn-junction, majority and minority carrier, characterization, current-voltage characteristic, strategies to optimize the solar cell efficiency, technology overview, crystalline silicon solar cells, amorphous silicon, CdTe, CIGS, concentrator cells, modules