Solar cells cheaper and more efficient with low-quality Silicon

We told you of a new line of innovation in manufacturing of photovoltaic solar cells seems to reach one of the most important objectives for future of solar energy approach: increase efficiency and reduce the cost of the electricity generation.

Singapore researchers have taken advantage of the advanced technology that has developed in the creation of nanostructures to make a highly efficient Silicon cell and still cheaper. With this development, the researchers hope that the cost of solar energy can be reduced by half, which could certainly mean the opening of the renewable to millions of people in the world.

This development was carried out jointly by the University of technology of Nanyang (NTU) and the to * STAR Institute of microelectronics (IME). These new thin film solar cells using Silicon low-quality, a cheaper material, allowing a low final price. Exceptional for his invention is that they have found a technique which can generate electricity flows similar to those produced by traditional solar cells that contain such expensive high quality Silicon.

The new nano-estructuradas solar cells NTU-A * STAR can produce a stream of (34.3mA/cm2) - a world record for a solar cell of Silicon of class. This is possible through the creation of a unique texture using nanostructures on the surface of the solar cell, which are thousands of times smaller than a human hair.
To compare the resulting electrical current with the results of other types of solar cells, we can see it quite close to the traditional cells which is 40mA/cm2. While the conventional solar thin film cells typically produce about half of this stream.

The adoption of solar energy worldwide is hampered in large part by the high cost of traditional solar panels , and this is because they are made with high quality Silicon. To rectify this, has been used - as you had above - to low-quality amorphous silicon , a thin film has no texture-- which is 100 times thinner. However this material - is its natural form - is not as effective to convert sunlight into electricity, so it produces less energy.

The developed method is then to create a unique texture on the surface of amorphous, Silicon using nanostructures and thus improves the efficiency of conversion of energy (PCE) of thin film silicon cell and therefore increases the production of energy.
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Plate Solar Silicon In The Form of Swiss Cheese

Development of photovoltaic solar energy points in large part to the semiconductor material that is capable of converting solar radiation where the cells in thin plate are profiled as replacements to the current in electric power, and even more so the polymer solar cells, although there are also other malleable materials such as silicone, which continue to provide good results.

In this last variant, it is experimenting with modifying designs, because the physico-chemical properties vary according to the disposition of the molecules, and thus a greater conductivity can be gained in those who offer more free electrons.

Developed by the Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, in conjunction with Swiss oerlikon Solar, is has recently proposed the creation of photovoltaic cells in thin plate using silicone not the distributing as regular, but rather seeks to imitate a honeycomb, or as they have called you, a Swiss cheese.

In this way insterticios are left between the material used, with a substrate derived from Zinc oxide, amorphous panels of lesser thickness, markedly favouring the conductivity and energy efficiency.

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