This book provides the reader with a solid understanding of the fundamental modeling of photovoltaic devices. After the material independent limit of photovoltaic conversion, the readers are introduced to the most well-known theory of "classical" silicon modeling. Based on this, for each of the most important PV materials, their performance under different conditions is modeled. This book also covers different modeling approaches, from very fundamental theoretic investigations to applied numeric simulations based on experimental values. The book concludes wth a chapter on the influence of spectral variations. The information is supported by providing the names of simulation software and basic literature to the field.

The information in the book gives the user specific application with a solid background in hand, to judge which materials could be appropriate as well as realistic expectations of the performance the devices could achieve.

Monika Freunek (Müller), studied Mechatronic and Product Engineering at the Universities of Applied Sciences of Bielefeld and Furtwangen, Germany from 2002-2006. After graduation and postdoctoral research at IBM Research Zurich, she worked as a researcher and co-founder of a start-up. Monika Freunek is now at BKW, Switzerland, as an energy specialist. Her main focus in research is modeling of energy and photovoltaic systems under different application conditions. She is an expert in indoor photovoltaics.