4. Conclusion

The basic elements of solar cell functioning were presented in order to understand their operating principle. Going from ideal to real solar cells, we analyzed the main factors that play a roll in light conversion efficiency. Such factors lead to a wide variety of solar cell types, from silicon based, to thin films, organic and quantum dots photovoltaic modules, each of them has their advantages and disadvantages. Nevertheless, none of them is exempted of degrading over the years, as the average lifetime of solar panels is around 30 years. Therefore, the study of the different degradation mechanisms is of crucial importance in the development of photovoltaic technologies. Their understanding requires the proper characterization techniques along with accelerated tests that correctly reproduce the solar devices exposure to working conditions.

Nowadays, silicon -...