(1. School of Energy & Power Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)(2. Linuo Power, Jinan 250103,China)(3. Institute for Energy Research of Jiangsu University, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China)
With the rapid advancement of the global economy and social development, energy shortage and environmental pollution have been obstacle to the development of society and economy. It’s urgent to maintain social development and improve people’s living standard when fossil fuel is exhausted. The development and utilization of new energy will provide an important guarantee for the sustainable development of human civilization. As a clean and sustainable energy, solar energy becomes one of the most prospective new energy due to its low pollution and high efficiency. This paper summarizes the current achievement and recent development of solar cells and gives a systematic introduction to development history of solar cells. Various solar cell preparation methods, working performance, conversion efficiency, advantages and disadvantages were analyzed and discussed. Finally, the future development and challenges of solar cells are also prospected.