efficient solar cells Archives – The Green Optimistic

New Low-Cost Anti-Soiling Solar Panel Coating Can Optimize Efficiency

Mila Luleva — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 17:52:22 +0000

New coating for solar panels developed by researchers from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has shown the remarkable ability to repel various types of liquids, including water, as well as solid particles, which are known to reduce energy efficiency. The development, funded by Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy SunShot Concentrating Solar Power Program of the […]

The post New Low-Cost Anti-Soiling Solar Panel Coating Can Optimize Efficiency appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Playing Pop Music to Solar Cells Boosts Their Efficiency, Researchers Find

Mila Luleva — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 14:08:27 +0000

Many have been trying to boost efficiency of solar cells, developing and discovering new technologies that often seem too optimistic and quite adventurous. One such example comes from British scientists at the Queen Mary University and Imperial College London. They found out that some solar cells produce much more electricity if music is played to […]

The post Playing Pop Music to Solar Cells Boosts Their Efficiency, Researchers Find appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

New Efficiency Record in Solar Cells Obtained With Perfect InGaN Crystal

Mila Luleva — Wed, 30 Oct 2013 13:00:44 +0000

The world of solar is reaching new heights, as scientists and engineers fight to achieve maximum efficiency at minimal cost by inventing new technologies and materials almost every day. The latest breakthrough comes from a research conducted by US scientists, who claim to have established a new and improved way to grow indium gallium nitride […]

The post New Efficiency Record in Solar Cells Obtained With Perfect InGaN Crystal appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Plasmons Make Liquid Solar Cells More Efficient And Affordable

Mila Luleva — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:31:22 +0000

A new generation liquid solar cells are being developed at SUFY Buffalo. Although the new technology is expected to have lower efficiency than conventional silicon or cadmium solar cells, the new solar cells will be much cheaper to produce and can cover much larger surfaces. The new liquid solar cells, made of metal nanoparticles, are […]

The post Plasmons Make Liquid Solar Cells More Efficient And Affordable appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Solar Cells Made With Layered Oxide Heterostructures Are Ultra-Efficient

Mila Luleva — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 13:33:52 +0000

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 […]

The post Solar Cells Made With Layered Oxide Heterostructures Are Ultra-Efficient appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Coloured, Transparent Solar Cells on Buildings Convert 12% of Incoming Sun Energy

Mila Luleva — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 22:35:20 +0000

Oxford Photovoltaics received £2m grant to develop colourful, transparent solar cells, which can be placed on building facades, making the whole building capable to produce clean power. The dyed glass is very close to being commercialized. According to Kevin Arthur, the company’s founder and CEO, there will not be a need to attach PV cells. […]

The post Coloured, Transparent Solar Cells on Buildings Convert 12% of Incoming Sun Energy appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Nanowire Technology Used for More Efficient Solar Cells

Benji Jerew — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 18:43:39 +0000

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 […]

The post Nanowire Technology Used for More Efficient Solar Cells appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Solar Frontier Establishes New Record in Thin Film Efficiency: 19.7%

Benji Jerew — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 06:47:15 +0000

We’ve been covering a lot of advancements in the area of photovoltaic [PV] solar power, from how long solar panels last, decades that is, to breaking the efficiency barrier, which has stood at 18.6% for the last ten years. Some prototype panels have boasted higher efficiency values, up to 44% in the case of a […]

The post Solar Frontier Establishes New Record in Thin Film Efficiency: 19.7% appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

CalTech Idea Could Double Solar Panel Efficiency

Benji Jerew — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 19:50:10 +0000

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 […]

The post CalTech Idea Could Double Solar Panel Efficiency appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Solar Cells Efficiency Boosted by Flexible Plastic Nanostructures

Mila Luleva — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 19:12:27 +0000

Cheap and flexible tiny plastic devices hold the key to three times better efficiency of organic solar cells, according to scientists at Princeton. The team led by Stephen Chou, an electrical engineer used metal and plastic sandwich-like nanostructure that collects light. The increase in efficiency was estimated to be 175%. Chou is certain that this […]

The post Solar Cells Efficiency Boosted by Flexible Plastic Nanostructures appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Nanowires Could Potentially Double the Power of Solar Cells

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:58:01 +0000

Nanowire-based solar cells are being developed by a startup in Massachusetts, Bandgap Engineering, in the hopes of lowering costs while increasing power of solar cells twice the current average power generated, from 15 to 38%. The said project, however, is a long-termed one, but Bandgap Engineering has already started a simpler innovation to solar cells. […]

The post Nanowires Could Potentially Double the Power of Solar Cells appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Economical Anti-Reflection Coating Increases Solar Cell Efficiency By 3%

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 13:20:47 +0000

Brisbane Materials of Australia has recently developed a 110-nm thick anti-reflection coating with refractive index of 1.25 that they claim to be the most cost-effective and highest performing coating to date, improving a photovoltaic cell’s efficiency by as much as 3%. Anti-reflection coatings are applied on top of solar cells’ glass cover, which protects them […]

The post Economical Anti-Reflection Coating Increases Solar Cell Efficiency By 3% appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Improved Solar Cells Provide Astonishing Energy Conversion Efficiency

Mila Luleva — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 14:34:36 +0000

At the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition that took place in Frankfurt between 24th and 28th of September, Professor Christophe Ballif and his team of researchers from the Photovoltaics Laboratory (PVlab)- EPFL’s Institute of Microengineering in Neuchatel, presented a striking innovation. They claimed that as little as $2500 in photovoltaic cells could easily […]

The post Improved Solar Cells Provide Astonishing Energy Conversion Efficiency appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Underwater Solar Cells Invented at NRL Yield 7 Watts/Sq.Meter

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 15:46:43 +0000

A new type of high bandgap underwater solar cell has been developed at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). Previously limited by the filter that water sheds on the light entering it, this gallium-indium phosphide solar cell is best suited for this type of application. GaInP solar cells are highly efficient in light whose wavelength […]

The post Underwater Solar Cells Invented at NRL Yield 7 Watts/Sq.Meter appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Graphene Solar Cells Reaching Record 8.6 Percent Efficiency

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:25:03 +0000

A new efficiency record for graphene solar cells has been established by University of Florida in Gainesville researchers. The new solar cell, made of graphene impurified with an organic dopant now reaches an efficiency of 8.6 percent, versus the 1.9% of the previous iterations. Sefaattin Tongay and Arthur F. Hebard, the two researchers who published […]

The post Graphene Solar Cells Reaching Record 8.6 Percent Efficiency appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Australian and German Scientists Improve Solar Cell Efficiency to 40%

Mike Sandru — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:45:01 +0000

What happens when two countries like Germany and Australia come together, united by the sole goal of coming up with the perfect solar cell? A photochemical upconversion happens, triggering an amazing 40% efficiency! The Energy&Environmental journal recently published the result of a collaboration between Professor Tim Schmidt from the University’s School of Chemistry (Australia) and […]

The post Australian and German Scientists Improve Solar Cell Efficiency to 40% appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Solar3D Claims New Solar Cells 200% More Efficient Than Standard Ones

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:57:45 +0000

Solar3D, a company saying it will revolutionize solar power, has just published a thorough simulation analysis of its new 3D solar cells. They’re saying their solar cell technology is 200% more efficient in harvesting the energy of sunlight than conventional counterparts. The company’s 3D solar cells are better from the fact that they can harvest […]

The post Solar3D Claims New Solar Cells 200% More Efficient Than Standard Ones appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

The New Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide (CZTS) Solar Cells – Cheaper and More Efficient

Mike Sandru — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:59:02 +0000

Just when we were getting used to silicon solar cells, efficient – true, but so expensive, here comes a new discovery of solar cells that could turn the industry upside down. We’re talking about CZTS solar cells, which stands for Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide. What makes these so great: they “make this inexpensive.” This was […]

The post The New Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide (CZTS) Solar Cells – Cheaper and More Efficient appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Australian Scientists Enhancing Thin Film Solar Cells’ Efficiency

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:22:03 +0000

The thin-film technology strives for closing the gap with silicon cells in the race for the most efficient solar panels. Researchers from the Swinburne University of Technology, Australia, together with Suntech Power Holdings announced that embedding gold and silver nanoparticles into thin-film solar cells has managed to improve the efficiency of solar panels by 8.1%. […]

The post Australian Scientists Enhancing Thin Film Solar Cells’ Efficiency appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Singlet Exciton Fission Solar Cells from Cambridge 44 Percent Efficient

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:58:31 +0000

A team of scientists at the University of Cambridge have developed a new kind of solar cell which uses a phenomenon called “singlet exciton fission” to extract two electrons with the energy of a single photon hitting the semiconductor. Currently available silicon solar cells can only extract one electron, so this would give solar cells […]

The post Singlet Exciton Fission Solar Cells from Cambridge 44 Percent Efficient appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

University of Texas Discovery Could Turn Solar Cells' Lost Heat into Electricity

Mike Sandru — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:13:04 +0000

Solar cells are a real treasure if handled and improved properly. The problem with them is that they usually use silicon, so the efficiency rate doesn’t exceed 31%, at most. All of this is about to change once the organic plastic semiconductor material suggested by the University of Texas comes in place: a predicted 50 […]

The post University of Texas Discovery Could Turn Solar Cells' Lost Heat into Electricity appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Improved Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Get More Efficient and Durable

Mike Sandru — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:52:04 +0000

Researchers at the University of Picardie Jules Verne in collaboration with those from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology have announced a new discovery regarding the production of solar power. They have developed a new type of an electrolyte system for solar cells that makes them much more efficient for long periods. Their study has […]

The post Improved Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Get More Efficient and Durable appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

PETE: The New Solar Cell Manufacturing Process Gives Increased Efficiency

Mike Sandru — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:27:40 +0000

"This is really a conceptual breakthrough, a new energy conversion process, not just a new material or a slightly different tweak.It is actually something fundamentally different about how you can harvest energy," said Nick Melosh, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering, who led the research group.

The post PETE: The New Solar Cell Manufacturing Process Gives Increased Efficiency appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Dutch Researchers Designing 65% Efficient Nanowire Solar Cells

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:46:31 +0000

High efficiency solar cells are for the moment only available to space applications, because of their prohibitive costs. The Eindhoven University of Technology from The Netherlands, with a EUR 1.2 million help from the Dutch government wants to develop ultra-efficient solar cells that are also cheap. They envision their cells having a 65% efficiency, something even the satellites would envy.

The post Dutch Researchers Designing 65% Efficient Nanowire Solar Cells appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

36.1 Percent: The Most Efficient Solar Panel Made by Delaware Researchers

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:25:07 +0000

Their system consisted of a lens, a dichroic mirror, and two two-cell stacks sponsored by the NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory), achieving probably "the highest efficiency yet measured for the experimental conversion of sunlight to electricity by any means."

The post 36.1 Percent: The Most Efficient Solar Panel Made by Delaware Researchers appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

NREL Building PDIL: Six Automated Robots Helping Solar Industry's R&D

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 15:50:50 +0000

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has built a robot that will help the R&D of thin film solar cells, analyzing possible defects faster and more accurate than any other existing system. It is called the PDIL (Process Development and Integration Laboratory).

The post NREL Building PDIL: Six Automated Robots Helping Solar Industry's R&D appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

CUESS: 3 Times Cheaper, 4 Times More Efficient Concentrated Photovoltaic/Thermal Array

Mircea Sandru — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:48:08 +0000

Using cheaper materials and latest technology scientists have managed to create a new type of concentrating array, three times cheaper and four times more efficient than any other solar cells. Researchers at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology have explained why this technology is so efficient by listing some key components and explaining how they work.

The post CUESS: 3 Times Cheaper, 4 Times More Efficient Concentrated Photovoltaic/Thermal Array appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Pyrite Could Become The Solar Cell Manufacturers' New Best Friend

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:54:05 +0000

U.S. scientists, along with Swiss-based NLV Solar are searching for a possibility to use pyrite for making efficient solar cells, and replace the expensive silicon with a thinner and cheaper option. "This analysis is truly a blend of semiconductor physics and natural resource economic analysis," he said.

The post Pyrite Could Become The Solar Cell Manufacturers' New Best Friend appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Sharp Releases 450mW Solar Cell Module for Cellphones

Mike Sandru — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:25:07 +0000

Sharp Corp. has announced the development of an improved solar cell module for cellphones at Green Device 2009, a trade show that will be open to the public from Oct 28 to 30, 2009, at Pacifico Yokohama, Yokohama City, Japan.

The post Sharp Releases 450mW Solar Cell Module for Cellphones appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Sharp Reaches Solar Cell Energy Conversion Efficiency of 35.8%

Mike Sandru — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:55:21 +0000

Sharp Corporation has recently announced a breakthrough technology with which it has achieved the world's highest solar cell conversion efficiency of 35.8%.The best feature of this triple-junction compound solar cell is that it uses photo-absorption layers made from compounds consisting of two or more elements such as indium and gallium.

The post Sharp Reaches Solar Cell Energy Conversion Efficiency of 35.8% appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Protein Nanotubes Could Make Solar Panels Self-Washable

Mike Sandru — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:17:04 +0000

Scientists at the Tel Aviv University (TAU) are sure that their newest research in the nanotechnology field could lead to the development of a new type of solar panels and glass that need no cleaning and apparently put window washers out of work.

The post Protein Nanotubes Could Make Solar Panels Self-Washable appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Plastic Solar Cells Going to Make Their Market Breakthrough

Cristi — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:41:08 +0000

Even though plastic solar cells are cheaper to produce and they have some advantages like lightweight and flexibility , they still miss one important thing: the efficiency. Researchers are optimist that in the years to come, the polymer solar cells will be able to compete from the efficiency point of view with the silicon solar cells as well taking into account the fact that plastic solar cell have improved their efficiency each year.

The post Plastic Solar Cells Going to Make Their Market Breakthrough appeared first on The Green Optimistic.