In the photovoltaic industry, an antireflection coating consisting of three SiN_x layers with different refractive indexes is generally adopted to reduce the reflectance and raise the efficiency of monocrystalline silicon PERC (passivated emitter and rear cell) solar cells. However, for SiN_x, a refractive index as low as about 1.40 cannot be achieved, which is the optimal value for the third layer of a triple-layer antireflection coating. Therefore, in this report the third layer is replaced by SiO_x, which possesses a more appropriate refractive index of 1.46, it and can be easily integrated into the SiN_x deposition process with the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. Through simulation and analysis with SunSolve, three different thicknesses were selected to construct the SiO_x third layer. The replacement of 15 nm SiN_x with 30 nm SiO_x as the third layer of antireflection coating can bring about an efficiency gain of 0.15%, which originates from the reflectance reduction and spectral response enhancement below about 550 nm wavelength. However, because the EVA encapsulation material of the solar module absorbs light in short wavelengths, the spectral response advantage of solar cells with 30 nm SiO_x is partially covered up, resulting in a slightly lower cell-to-module (CTM) ratio and an output power gain of only 0.9 W for solar module.

The pyrolysis process of source rock, especially organic-rich immature shale, is required for oil and gas extraction, during which the evolution of the pore structure system in the immature shale determines the heat conduction and fluid flow under the heating treatment. Although some sound achievements have been made regarding the pyrolysis of immature shale, the effect of the total organic carbon (TOC) content on the pore structure evolution of immature shale remains unclear. With respect to this issue, in this work, a series of N₂ adsorption/desorption and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments were conducted, and fractal dimension theory was also introduced to analyze the pore structure evolution of immature shale subjected to heating treatment in a quantitative manner. The results indicate that the adsorption branch of the nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm can be divided into three stages. The pore structure of different TOC immature shales does not change significantly, and they are all slit-shaped. In addition, immature shale with a higher organic content has a higher hydrocarbon expulsion strength and a higher pore volume growth rate, which indicate that the pyrolysis of organic matter greatly affects the pore structure of immature shale during heating. This phenomenon shows that the pyrolysis of organic matter greatly influences the pore structure of immature shale during the heating process. The pores of immature shale in the study area have significant fractal characteristics, the fractal dimension is between 2.397 and 2.636, the pore space of the sample is extremely small, the pore structure is extremely complex, and the heterogeneity is strong.

To study Semi-Transparent photovoltaic (STPV) windows, experiments were conducted to test the energy potential of STPV window installed in buildings. Two identical rooms were built up as experimental units; one was fitted with amorphous silicon (a-silicon) photovoltaic (PV) windows, and another was fitted with a conventional window. The interactional influence was analyzed among air conditioning energy consumption, lighting energy consumption, and energy generation. It can be concluded that STPV windows could provide 0.26 kWh/per day and save 29% on comprehensive building load on a typical sunny day. In order to further investigate, buildings installed with STPV windows in four typical cities with different climate environments in southwest China were simulated and analyzed. The cooling load of the buildings were all decreased while the heating energy consumption and lighting energy consumption were lightly increased. The energy generation of STPV windows was highest in Lhasa at 402.1 kWh/year. The energy saving potential of STPV windows was predicted with good values; 54% in Kunming.