Restoring photovoltaic cell efficiency

Abstract

An apparatus for restoring efficiency of a photovoltaic cell includes an illumination module for illuminating one or more photovoltaic cells such that the one or more photovoltaic cells receive a time integrated irradiance equivalent to at least 5 hours of solar illumination. The apparatus includes an annealing module for annealing the one or more photovoltaic cells at a temperature above 90 degrees Celsius for a minimum of 10 minutes, the annealing in response to illuminating the one or more photovoltaic cells.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for restoring efficiency of a photovoltaic cell, the apparatus comprising:
 an illumination module for illuminating one or more photovoltaic cells such that the one or more photovoltaic cells receive a time integrated irradiance equivalent to at least 5 hours of solar illumination; and   an annealing module for annealing the one or more photovoltaic cells at a temperature above 90 degrees Celsius for a minimum of 10 minutes, the annealing in response to illuminating the one or more photovoltaic cells.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more photovoltaic cells comprise a semiconductor wafer, and one of:
 the illumination module illuminates the one or more photovoltaic cells for a time integrated irradiance equivalent to at least 20 hours of solar illumination;   the illumination module illuminates the one or more photovoltaic cells for a time integrated irradiance equivalent to at least 16 hours of solar illumination while being heated to at least 50 degrees Celsius; and   the illumination module further comprises a solar concentrator that irradiates the one or more photovoltaic cells in sunlight for at least 10 hours, and wherein the solar concentrator increases the irradiance of solar illumination on the one or more photovoltaic cells by a factor of 2 to 5.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more photovoltaic cells are annealed at a temperature above 130 degrees Celsius, and wherein annealing the one or more photovoltaic cells further comprises illuminating the one or more photovoltaic cells while the one or more photovoltaic cells are heated during annealing. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein illuminating the one or more photovoltaic cells while annealing of the one or more photovoltaic cells is performed such that the photovoltaic cell receives a time integrated irradiance equivalent to at least 10 minutes of solar illumination. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a power meter for measuring the performance of the one or more photovoltaic cells;   a controllable heater for heating the one or more photovoltaic cells to a temperature of at least 90 degrees Celsius for a minimum of 10 minutes, the one or more photovoltaic cells in a manufactured state such that the one or more photovoltaic cells are capable of producing electricity when illuminated; and   a control system for controlling the controllable heater, wherein the control system is adapted for calculating a regeneration interval based upon the measurement of the performance of the one or more photovoltaic cells and for heating the one or more photovoltaic cells using the controllable heater to a temperature of at least 90 degrees Celsius for a minimum of 10 minutes in response to expiration of a regeneration interval.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the controllable heater comprises one or more of:
 an infrared absorber, wherein the infrared absorber is adapted for moving between a stored position and a deployed position, and wherein when the infrared absorber is adapted for heating the one or more photovoltaic cells using absorbed infrared radiation when in the deployed position;   an electrical heater;   a hot water heater;   a solar radiation concentration device; and   a Peltier heater.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the control system calculates a regeneration interval by determining a time for the one or more photovoltaic cells to reach a degraded state, the degraded state comprising a state where the one or more photovoltaic cells produce less power than power produced by the one or more photovoltaic cells during an initial state.