A brief history of thermophotovoltaic development

Abstract

This history begins with the uncertain location and time of the invention of the thermophotovoltaic (TPV) energy conversion technology. The early contributors to the technology include universities, government laboratories, and industrial research organizations when substantial development occurred in the 1960s. The energy crises of the 1970s caused a shift in emphasis from fossil-fueled power generation to solar energy conversion. The recent contributors to the technology are identified as TPV has experienced a revival since the early 1990s.