Ascent Solar FlexPower CIGS Thin-Film boasts 12% Efficiency [Video]
Scientists Double Solar Cell Efficiency
IBM and Solar Frontier Partner on Thin-Film Solar Cells
MIT uses Lattice Strain to develop High Efficiency Fuel Cells
Dow Solar 'Powerhouse' Solar Roofing Shingles to be Available Next Year
Paper-Thin Solar Cells Could Reach Market in 5 Years
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Walmart Scales Solar Installations with MiaSole Thin-Film Solar Panels
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SunPower Solar Panels Achieve over 19% Efficiency
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Solar Cells Out of Common Materials? IBM Makes It Happen
One-Step Process for Photovoltaic Cell Production Could Make Solar Competitive
Germany Develops Highest Efficiency Thin-Film Solar Cells
No one doubts that solar cells are a terrific alternative energy product. However, solar cell inefficiency has been a major hurdle for the solar cell industry and has spurred extensive research. The current record of 19.9 percent efficiency for thin film solar has just been passed by researchers at Germany’s Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research. They claim their new CIGS thin-film solar cell technology achieves 20.1 percent efficiency.
The achievement is more significant than it seems. An American company, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), held the previous record of 19.9 percent efficiency for 16 years. Commercially available CIGS thin film cells can claim only 10 percent to 12 percent efficiency. An increase of close to 10 percent is relatively enormous, especially if paired with an improved manufacturing process that avoids the use of toxic chemicals and expensive production equipment.
At the moment, fossil fuel energy is relatively cheap to purchase and use. The fossil fuel process and delivery infrastructure is in place and tested. With greatly improved solar cell efficiency tied with a more cost effective production process, however, solar energy takes an important step in knocking over the fossil fuel energy behemoth.
image credit: NREL
Recommended for Further Reading:
- Ascent Solar FlexPower CIGS Thin-Film boasts 12% Efficiency [Video]
- Scientists Double Solar Cell Efficiency
- IBM and Solar Frontier Partner on Thin-Film Solar Cells
- MIT uses Lattice Strain to develop High Efficiency Fuel Cells
- Dow Solar 'Powerhouse' Solar Roofing Shingles to be Available Next Year
- Paper-Thin Solar Cells Could Reach Market in 5 Years
- 3M Flexible CIGS Thin-Film Solar on Plastic Soon to be Released [Video]
- GE to Produce Thin-Film Solar Panels
- Walmart Scales Solar Installations with MiaSole Thin-Film Solar Panels
- Abound Solar Secures $510 Million Funding to Commercialize Solar Panels
- SunPower Solar Panels Achieve over 19% Efficiency
- Prism Makes $1 a Watt Unique Solar Hybrid of Holographic Thin-Film and PV
- Kyocera Achieves World Record Solar Module Efficiency
- Solar Cells Out of Common Materials? IBM Makes It Happen
- One-Step Process for Photovoltaic Cell Production Could Make Solar Competitive
Germany Develops Highest Efficiency Thin-Film Solar Cells http://t.co/mKpERlnS #eco #cleantech #greenbuilding #renewableenergy
Germany Develops Highest Efficiency Thin-Film Solar Cells http://t.co/wqe5vGQ #eco #cleantech #greenbuilding #renewableenergy
Germany Develops Highest Efficiency Thin-Film Solar Cells http://bit.ly/c6WHDa #eco #cleantech #greenbuilding #renewableenergy
Germany Develops Highest Efficiency Thin-Film Solar Cells http://bit.ly/c6WHDa #eco #cleantech #greenbuilding #renewableenergy
Germany Develops Highest Efficiency Thin-Film Solar Cells http://bit.ly/c6WHDa #eco #cleantech #greenbuilding #renewableenergy
RT @RunOnEnergy: German researchers break 20% efficiency cap on solar thin film http://bit.ly/c6WHDa #greenbuilding RT @buildaroo
RT @buildaroo: German researchers break 20% efficiency cap on solar thin film http://bit.ly/c6WHDa #greenbuilding
RT @buildaroo: German researchers break 20% efficiency cap on solar thin film http://bit.ly/c6WHDa
RT @buildaroo: German researchers break 20% efficiency cap on solar thin film http://bit.ly/c6WHDa
RT @buildaroo: German researchers break 20% efficiency cap on solar thin film http://bit.ly/c6WHDa
RT @buildaroo: German researchers break 20% efficiency cap on solar thin film http://bit.ly/c6WHDa