Posts Tagged solar cells

New Technique Identifies Manufacturing Residue, Improves Solar Cell Efficiency

Posted by Mila Luleva in Solar Power on May 7, 2013

Scientists from Argonne National Laboratory discovered that the efficiency of solar cells is reduced by traces of residue from the manufacturing process of organic photovoltaics. Solar cells based on organic polymers, or the so-called organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs), are known to be much cheaper to make than the popular silicon solar cells. They can be applied [...]

International Solar Manufacturers Against EU’s Tariffs For Chinese Imports

Posted by Mila Luleva in Solar Power on April 12, 2013

Over 1000 international solar manufacturing companies have submitted a joint complaint to the European Commission urging them not to continue with their plan to impose tariffs on solar panels imported from China. It is hugely speculated that after launching an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation against unfair subsidies for Chinese solar makers, EU will now follow [...]

Roads Covered by Solar Panels Could Boost Energy Production in India

Posted by Mila Luleva in Solar Power on April 2, 2013

An initiative to cover main roads and highways with solar power module platforms was proposed by scientists at the Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI) in India. The technology will not only generate large amounts of electricity, but will also help governmental officials save money on buying expensive land for solar farms. The team of [...]

New Record-Breaking Efficiency of Solar Cells for Mobile Devices

Posted by Mila Luleva in Solar Power on March 6, 2013

Yet another record efficiency is achieved with solar cells developed by Alta Devices, a small startup in the field of solar energy. In times when finding cheaper renewable energy sources is the essence of combating greenhouse gas emissions, solar companies are constantly introducing new techniques that lower the cost of solar while boosting the efficiency. [...]

Solar Cells and Supercapacitors Improved by New 3D Germanium Sulfide Nanostructure

Posted by Ovidiu Sandru in Solar Power, Superconductors on February 22, 2013

Next-generation supercapacitors and solar cells could be improved by a newly-created germanium sulfide (GeS) nanomaterial resembling a shish-kebab. North Carolina State University researchers put up a three-dimensional structure that consists of multiple bi-dimensional nanosheets impaled by a one-dimensional nanowire of germanium sulfide. To create the heterosurface, the researchers begin by creating the nanowire 100 nanometers [...]

Solar Cells Made With Layered Oxide Heterostructures Are Ultra-Efficient

Posted by Mila Luleva in Solar Power on February 16, 2013

A new class of materials, known as layered oxide heterostructures, made by stacking single atomic layers of oxides, can be used to create a brand new kind of ultra-thin, super-efficient solar cells. Researchers from the Vienna University of Technology, together with colleagues from the US and Germany, discovered the unique electronic properties of these materials [...]

Nanowire-Embedded Quantum Dots Break Solar Cell Efficiency Records

Posted by Mila Luleva in Solar Power on February 13, 2013

An international team of scientists from Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and the US established a process through which quantum dots can self-assemble at optimal locations in nanowires. This discovery might just be the key to improving not only solar cells, but also quantum computing and lighting devices. A press release by NREL from last week, stated [...]

V3Solar Spin Cells: Solar Power at Its Cheapest

Posted by Mila Luleva in Solar Power on January 26, 2013

Electricity generated from solar cells has been the subject of debate for quite some time now. As clean and as environmentally friendly it can be, its price has presented a limitation. CleanTechnica released an exclusive article this week, showing the latest technology in the solar field. The V3Solar Spin Cell could be just the solution [...]

Nanowire Technology Used for More Efficient Solar Cells

Posted by Benji Jerew in Experiments, Solar Power on January 22, 2013

Silicon solar cells currently are, at a maximum, between 19% and 50% efficient converting solar energy into electricity. The rest of that energy is lost to heat and reflection, as well as resistance in the cells themselves. Part of the problem is that silicon solar cells can only be made reactive to a certain part [...]

Black Silicon Makes Solar Cells More Efficient

Posted by Leigh Kim in Solar Power on January 19, 2013

Aalto University scientists have achieved an improvement in light absorption and surface passivation of silicon nanostructures after applying an atomic layer coating. This finding may advance high sensitivity light response devices such as high efficiency solar cells. Researchers detailed their findings in the January issue of Journal of Photovoltaics. Surface passivation is improved by utilizing [...]

Strong Nanomaterials from Snails Improve Solar Cells and Lithium-ion Batteries

Posted by Mila Luleva in Energy Storage, Solar Power on January 17, 2013

A recent paper published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, reveals how the largest type of chitons- gumboot chitons, can contribute to improving solar cells and lithium-ion batteries. Professor David Kisailus, from the University of California, Riverside’s Bourns College of Engineering, together with his team of students and scientists at Harvard University, University in Cambridge [...]

Silicon Photovoltaic Wafer Screening System Will Save Solar Industry Billions

Posted by Leigh Kim in Solar Power on January 16, 2013

The industrial material production process is very hard on silicon wafers. In fact, between 5 and 10% of these expensive wafers used to make photovoltaic solar cells are damaged during the process, translating annually into billions of lost dollars by the solar industry. Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have created a Silicon [...]

Major Comeback of Building-Integrated Solar Panels by 2017

Posted by Mila Luleva in Solar Power on December 29, 2012

A new report, released by Pike Research, shows that the market for solar panels built into building roofs and walls will grow from 400MW in 2012 to 2.25 GW in the next five years. This technology, also known as “building-integrated photovoltaics” or BIPV, consists of thin film solar panels that can be printed directly onto [...]

CalTech Idea Could Double Solar Panel Efficiency

Posted by Benji Jerew in Solar Power on December 28, 2012

Light from the sun is made up of a number of different wavelengths ranging from 1 nanometer to 1 millimeter. Solar cells aren’t reactive to the whole spectrum, but only a small portion of it, so the rest of the spectrum outside of the reactive range is essentially wasted, absorbed by the glass and structure [...]

Solar Cell Fibers May Lead to Wearable Energy Sources

Posted by Leigh Kim in Solar Power on December 15, 2012

For years, researchers have sought to develop a solar fabric that is wearable. The solar fabric would be pliable, portable, lightweight, wearable, and capable of capturing more of the sun’s energy since it would capture sunlight from multiple angles. Most solar fabric innovations have been comprised of printing solar cells onto regular fabrics or weaving [...]