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Improving Nanowire Perovskite Solar Cells Via Material Substitution And Geometric Modification Essay

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Improving Nanowire Perovskite Solar Cells via Material Substitution and Geometric Modification Luis Umbarila, Kayla Ho EENG-489 Senior Design Project Proposal Dr. Azhar Ilyas December 9, 2016 Introduction The primary source of energy in the United States is fossil fuels – for heating, power, and electricity generation – but we have a limited supply [1]. In addition to limited quantity, the burning of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming as well as pollutants that cause asthma, acid rain, smog, and more [1]. Alternate sources of energy generation have been studied – among them hydro, tidal, wind, biomass, geothermal, and of course solar energy – to reduce dependency on fossil fuels, to have “clean” energy sources, and because they are all unlimited resources [1]. Solar energy comes from the sun and is the most readily available source of clean energy [2]. This energy is part of the solar electromagnetic spectrum, with wavelengths of 102 nm and higher actually penetrating the earth’s atmosphere [3]. Of this spectrum, we have the following: ultraviolet (UV) radiation (100–400 nm), visible light (400—700 nm), and infrared (IR) (700—5 x 105 nm) [3]. However, most solar cells are not capable of absorbing light in the 600–1000 nm region – this region encompasses more than 70% of solar radiation – due to their large bandgaps [4]. Despite the questions regarding economical costs, power conversion efficiency, and absorption

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