Solar Cells Out of Common Materials? IBM Makes It Happen
Kyocera Achieves World Record Solar Module Efficiency
SunPower Solar Panels Achieve over 19% Efficiency
Biofuel Cells Could Run on Energy Drinks
Innovalight Silicon Inks Boost Solar Cell Efficiency to Record-Breaking 19%
Solar funnel
MIT uses Lattice Strain to develop High Efficiency Fuel Cells
MIT Researchers print Solar Cells on Paper
SunPower to use Solar Concentrators to Increase Solar Cells Efficiency
Paper-Thin Solar Cells Could Reach Market in 5 Years
Solarmer: Plastic Solar Panels that are 10x Cheaper Than Silicon Based Panels
Soliant Energy Residential Solar Concentrators to bring down cost of Residential Solar
Self-Repairing Solar Cells Mimic Photosynthesis
New Technology Could Triple Efficiency of Solar Panels
Ultra-Lightweight, Affordable Solar Panel Technology uses 1/100 of Silicon in Conventional
Scientists Double Solar Cell Efficiency
Widespread solar energy use is hampered by the inherent lack of efficiency of solar cells. Generally, even the best silicon solar cells are only theoretically able to turn 31 percent of sunlight into electrical energy. The current practice of stacking semiconductor layers can boost the efficiency of solar cells to 40 percent, but the manufacturing cost is so high that these solar cells are only practical for military or space applications. However, researchers have now discovered a way to significantly reduce incoming light electron energy loss - a key contributor to the lack of efficiency in solar cells.
When incoming light enters solar cells, a large number of high-energy “hot” electrons are created. Unfortunately, these electrons lose their energy within a picosecond. Research at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in 2001 showed that incorporating nanoscale pieces of semiconducting material called quantum dots could slow this energy loss, and increase efficiency.
Current research at the University of Texas in Austin goes a step further in combining quantum dots with semiconducting wafers. This combination allows the theoretical maximum efficiency of a solar cell to jump to about 66 percent.
Although testing is just in its beginning stages, researchers point out that manufacturing these new solar cells could be relatively cost-effective. This is an important step in helping increase commercial use of solar energy.
Recommended for Further Reading:
- Solar Cells Out of Common Materials? IBM Makes It Happen
- Kyocera Achieves World Record Solar Module Efficiency
- SunPower Solar Panels Achieve over 19% Efficiency
- Biofuel Cells Could Run on Energy Drinks
- Innovalight Silicon Inks Boost Solar Cell Efficiency to Record-Breaking 19%
- Solar funnel
- MIT uses Lattice Strain to develop High Efficiency Fuel Cells
- MIT Researchers print Solar Cells on Paper
- SunPower to use Solar Concentrators to Increase Solar Cells Efficiency
- Paper-Thin Solar Cells Could Reach Market in 5 Years
- Solarmer: Plastic Solar Panels that are 10x Cheaper Than Silicon Based Panels
- Soliant Energy Residential Solar Concentrators to bring down cost of Residential Solar
- Self-Repairing Solar Cells Mimic Photosynthesis
- New Technology Could Triple Efficiency of Solar Panels
- Ultra-Lightweight, Affordable Solar Panel Technology uses 1/100 of Silicon in Conventional
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RT @cleangreenpro: Scientists Double Solar Cell Efficiency http://bit.ly/9UG0JO #eco #cleantech #greenbuilding #renewableenergy
RT @cleangreenpro: Scientists Double Solar Cell Efficiency http://bit.ly/9UG0JO #eco #cleantech #greenbuilding #renewableenergy