Conversion of solar heat into work: A supplement to the actual thermodynamic description

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Abstract
The absorption of radiant energy in solar cells is divided into reversible and irreversible processes occurring in parallel. The paper proposes a method for calculating their relative contributions. We also show that photon reemission without work production plays a particular role in the conversion of solar heat into work and the attainment of higher solar cell efficiencies. The comparison of the well-known thermodynamic efficiency limitations of the solar energy conversion with and without entropy production makes it possible to formulate the notion “antenna states of the absorber particles.” The carriers of similar states are known as pigment molecules in the photosynthesis of plants. We show that it is impossible to attain very high efficiencies in the conversion of solar heat into work without the reversible antenna reemission of solar energy.

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