Center for Solar Photovoltaics (CPV) at Surya University: Novel and Innovative Solar Photovoltaics System Designs for Tropical and Near-Ocean Regions (An Overview and Research Directions)

Abstract

Solar photovoltaics (PV) has been globally adopted as a means to produce clean and renewable energy by harnessing sunlight energy though the current existing markets have been mostly dominated by northern hemisphere countries (i.e. U.S.A, Germany and other European countries). In fact, if utilized in tropical countries (such as Indonesia), PV technology can be even more productive because of the higher sunlight intensity presence leading to higher output energy throughout the year. Nevertheless, the concept of PV system designs typically needed for tropical and near-ocean regions, like Indonesia, must employ unique characteristics which are not usually found in those of traditional PV systems. Examples of novel and innovative PV systems suitable for tropical and near - ocean regions would be floating solar farm and solar tree/forest offering potential benefits in terms of higher reliability and output energy along with lower operational cost. Consequently, enabling such novel and innovative PV system designs requires fundamental materials research in order to overcome environmental degradation factors such as salinity, humidity and other corrosive elements, which are typically found in tropical regions especially near oceans. This article will describe such novel and innovative PV system technology along with some fundamental research directions in materials design/technology that will be the focus of the Center for Solar PV Materials and Technology (CPV) at Surya University, Indonesia.