Variability of Photovoltaic

Thin-Films

Rachel Berry and Kylie Britt

Massanutten Regional Governors School

Dr. David Lawrence, Dr. Keith Holland,

Lauren Phillips and Bartlett Jones
James Madison University
ISAT and Engineering

Abstract
Photovoltaic thin films coated with a Bismuth vanadate (BiVO) solution can
produce an electric current that can be used to support the solar-hydrogen
process of energy production and water splitting. In past years research it has
been concluded that the process of depositing this solution onto films has
been successful, as well as the solution's performance as an electric
conductor. To optimize this method of solar-hydrogen energy, variables in
chemical bias were tested. Through photoelectrochemical testing, a solar
simulator was directed at the films and the current (in mA) was recorded by a
Keithley Lab System and presented through LabView software. Those
currents were compared for the films that were biased in bismuth and
vanadium, and it was discovered that -biased films produced a higher
electrical output. With an improved electric current produced by photovoltaic
thin films, the process of solar-hydrogen as a renewable energy resource can
be made more cost-effectively and begin to become more widespread in use.

Essentially
Photovoltaic films coated in BiVO4 solution
Eventually used for Water-Splitting
Useful for Hydrogen Energy process

Solar-Hydrogen Energy
PV Cell
H
H

Electricity

Hydrogen Fuel
Cell

Variability Testing
Vanadium biased vs Bismuth biased
Topography and surface thickness
V

V
Bi

Bi

Bi
V

Bi

Bi

BiVO4 Films
When these films
absorb light from a
solar simulator, they
can split water (into
2H and O) and
produce electricity,
recorded with a
computer.

Lab Procedure
Photoelectrochemical
testing
We run a sweep test
and open circuit test
Use Keithley system
and Labview
software

Open Current

Closed Current

SEM Imaging
Micrometric
scaled pictures
of sample
surfaces

Analysis
Films 115, 118, and 121 are vanadium-biased

Analysis

Conclusion
Though the difference is slight, vanadiumbiased PV thin-films produced better PEC
testing performances.
This has indicated that to maximize this
process, an ideal chemical balance, with an
increased amount of vanadium should be
employed.

Literature
Holland, S., Dutter, M., Lawrence, D., Reisner, B., and DeVore, C. Photoelectrochemical
performance of W-doped BiVO4 thin films deposited by spray pyrolysis. SPIE, 8822, 5-14. (2013).
Hydrogen energy. Renewable energy world, Retrieved from
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/tech/hydrogen
MacQueen, D. B. (n.d.). Photoelectrochemical water splitting. Retrieved from
http://gcep.stanford.edu/pdfs/hydrogen_workshop/MacQueen.pdf
Sun, Y., Murphy, C., Reyes-Gil, K., Reyes-Garcia, E., Thornton, J., Morris, N., & Raftery, D. (2009).
Photoelectrochemical and structural characterization of carbon-doped WO 3 films prepared via spray
pyrolysis. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 34, 8476- 8484.

Variability of Photovoltaic
Thin-Films