organic solar cell Archives – The Green Optimistic

This New Breakthrough Could Boost the Efficiency of Organic Solar Cells

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Sat, 10 Feb 2018 18:41:33 +0000

The organic solar cell technology promises low-cost manufacturing, abundant raw materials, and lightweight, flexible substrates. These benefits address the limitations of current photovoltaic cells on the market. However, the efficiency of this cheaper and more sustainable alternative to silicon-based solar cells remains a big challenge. At 11 percent efficiency, they need more ways to catch […]

The post This New Breakthrough Could Boost the Efficiency of Organic Solar Cells appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Organic Solar Cell Efficiency Receives a Boost from “Nanograss”

Mila Luleva — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 09:50:32 +0000

Nanotechnology holds the key to further developments in organic solar cells and energy storage. It might sound as a very bold statement to some, but it is true, and an international team of researchers demonstrated it. They developed “nanograss“, which can boost the efficiency of organic solar cells, while providing a mean for cheap energy storage […]

The post Organic Solar Cell Efficiency Receives a Boost from “Nanograss” appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Recyclable Organic Solar Cell Hits New Efficiency Record at 2.7%

Benji Jerew — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:19:20 +0000

Photovoltaic organic solar cells have the potential to be truly green, but often their manufacturing processes are not so green. Petroleum- and silicon-based solar cells can be bad for the environment and nearly impossible to recycle. One possible solution to creating a truly green solar cell could be to use natural materials. On the other […]

The post Recyclable Organic Solar Cell Hits New Efficiency Record at 2.7% appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Low-Temp Meltable Alloy Increases Solar Cell Efficiency

Mila Luleva — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:03:31 +0000

The field of solar power and photovoltaic cells has developed enormously over the past decade, providing opportunities for even greater innovations. One of these is presented in the latest issue of Advanced Materials, a team from the Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research in Bangalore. The researchers proposed using low temperature meltable alloys to […]

The post Low-Temp Meltable Alloy Increases Solar Cell Efficiency appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

New Dye for Organic Solar Cell Hits Record 11.9% Efficiency

Benji Jerew — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 21:13:44 +0000

Solar cells may be the cleanest energy source available, but they have one thing working against them, which is efficiency. Sure, there are some who have expanses of horizontal and vertical real-estate on which to put hundreds of square feet of solar cells, but they could be better. If a 10%-efficiency solar array on the […]

The post New Dye for Organic Solar Cell Hits Record 11.9% Efficiency appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Organic Solar Cells With Cobalt Electrolyte Outperforming Silicon PVs

Leigh Hutchens — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 08:44:10 +0000

There’s no way around it. Photovoltaics, while incredibly energy efficient, are expensive. In sharp contrast, dye-based solar cells seem to be a cheaper alternative to traditional solar cells. Looking especially promising are tandem cells made up of a conventional n-type and a p-type dye-sensitive solar cell. P-type cells are different than traditional n-type dye sensitive […]

The post Organic Solar Cells With Cobalt Electrolyte Outperforming Silicon PVs appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Influence of Solvent Mixtures on The Structure of Organic Solar Cells

Mila Luleva — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 18:44:06 +0000

Physicists from North Carolina State University claim that by controlling the way “mixing” occurs between the solar cell domains, we can boost their efficiency. According to new research, within a polymer-based solar cell, the speed of movement of energy particles towards the interface of the donor and acceptor domains of the solar cell can be […]

The post Influence of Solvent Mixtures on The Structure of Organic Solar Cells appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

New Type of Highly Efficient Grätzel-Like Solar Cells Don’t Leak

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 23 May 2012 19:50:01 +0000

A research group from Northwestern University has unveiled a new type of dye-sensitized (organic) solar cell that is a technological leap forward and that will make Michael Grätzel proud of his invention. Their new solar cell is not more efficient, but lasts for longer in real life conditions. Current dye-sensitized solar cells use a liquid electrolyte. […]

The post New Type of Highly Efficient Grätzel-Like Solar Cells Don’t Leak appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Organic Solar Cells Market to Skyrocket in 10 Years, Report Says

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:42:45 +0000

If you are about to invest in silicon-based photovoltaics, please stop for a moment and read this. IDTechEx, a market research company, has published a report saying that the organic (not silicon) photovoltaic market is about to hit a value of $630 million in ten years. The growth will be stupendous: 1300% from today’s $4.6 […]

The post Organic Solar Cells Market to Skyrocket in 10 Years, Report Says appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Heliatek Unveils Organic Window Solar Panels

Guest Contributor — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:07:47 +0000

A brand new type of window solar panel has been developed in Germany by Heliatek. This new invention involves a technology utilizing small, organic molecules deposited on films of polyester. The mechanism behind this new product is very similar to what is generally used for OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays for flat screen TVs and […]

The post Heliatek Unveils Organic Window Solar Panels appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

New 1.9µm Solar Cell Thinner Than Spider Silk, Can Be Bent Around Human Hair

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:07:06 +0000

A solar cell thinner than spider silk has been unveiled today by a team of Austrian and Japanese researchers. The ultra-thin solar cell has a thickness of 1.9 micrometers and can be bent around a single human hair. The solar cells considered so far to be the thinnest are about ten times thicker than the […]

The post New 1.9µm Solar Cell Thinner Than Spider Silk, Can Be Bent Around Human Hair appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Record-Breaking Efficiency for Polymer Solar Cells Achieved by UC Researchers

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 03:03:19 +0000

University of California researchers led by Yang Yang, professor of materials science and engineering, have developed a polymer solar cell that achieves a 10.6 percent efficiency. The discovery comes at less than a year since the same research group reached an 8.6 percent efficiency, in July. So far, polymer solar cells have been traditionally inefficient. Yang’s […]

The post Record-Breaking Efficiency for Polymer Solar Cells Achieved by UC Researchers appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

UK Scientists One Step Closer to Artificial Leaves With New Discovery

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 01:07:19 +0000

As the world stands on grim perspectives, such as the doubling of energy consumption within the next 40 years and the imminent shortage of oil and gas, the attention shifts towards nature’s resorts. And photosynthesis, far-fetched as it may seem, is no exception. The principle of it is relatively simple: plants produce carbohydrates through what […]

The post UK Scientists One Step Closer to Artificial Leaves With New Discovery appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

New Organic Solar Cell Efficiency Record Obtained by Heliatek

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 20:22:18 +0000

A new efficiency record for organic photovoltaic cells has been reached by Heliatek, for the third time in a row. The German company created a cheap solar cell that can convert up to 9.8 percent of the incoming light into electricity. Heliatek’s new solar cell is made from oligomers, and differs from polymer and dye-sensitized […]

The post New Organic Solar Cell Efficiency Record Obtained by Heliatek appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Grätzel's New Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Cheaper and More Efficient

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:34:34 +0000

As our loyal readers already know, Michael Grätzel invented dye-sensitized solar cells 20 years ago, but, despite their low price, these organic cells have proved rather inefficient. However, Grätzel now found a solution for the cells to be cheaper and more efficient. Grätzel’s cells use organic dyes to absorb sunlight, which hits the titanium dioxide […]

The post Grätzel's New Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Cheaper and More Efficient appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

LCD Screens That Recover Their Own Backlight Energy to the Battery, Invented at UCLA

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:41:00 +0000

A team of UCLA engineers led by Yang Yang, a professor of materials science at UCLA Engineering, have invented a new photovoltaic polarizer that, applied to the LCD screens of phones and other gadgets could allow them to charge from ambient light, sunlight or even their own backlight. Thus, the bigger the screen, the higher […]

The post LCD Screens That Recover Their Own Backlight Energy to the Battery, Invented at UCLA appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Stanford Researchers Get Threefold Efficiency Gains by Binding Organic Layer to Solar Cells

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 16:31:57 +0000

While studying quantum dot solar cells, chemical engineering Professor Stacey Bent and associate Professor Michael McGehee of the department of Materials Science and Engineering coated a titanium dioxide semiconductor in their quantum dot solar cell with a very thin single layer of self-assembling organic molecules.

The post Stanford Researchers Get Threefold Efficiency Gains by Binding Organic Layer to Solar Cells appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Self-Repairing Organic Solar Cells Use DNA Strands to Work

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 14:01:37 +0000

A grand breakthrough in solar cell technology is attempted at the Birck Nanotechnology and Bindley Bioscience centers at Purdue's Discovery Park. It involves the creating of a brand new carbon nanotube enhanced and DNA manipulated solar cell, capable of self-repair.

The post Self-Repairing Organic Solar Cells Use DNA Strands to Work appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Singlet Fission Having The Possibility to Increase Solar Cell Efficiency by 35 Percent

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 17:17:09 +0000

A molecular system that could be used to enhance the efficiency of solar cells by 35 percent has been recently discovered by NREL and University of Colorado, Boulder (UCB) researchers.

The post Singlet Fission Having The Possibility to Increase Solar Cell Efficiency by 35 Percent appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Konarka's Thin Plastic Organic Solar Cell Breaks New Efficiency Record For Its Class

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 09:40:16 +0000

Konarka, one of the early adopters of thin plastic solar cells has recently unveiled news about their latest prototype achieving a light conversion efficiency of 8.3 percent.

The post Konarka's Thin Plastic Organic Solar Cell Breaks New Efficiency Record For Its Class appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Wasps Convert Sunlight Into Electricity, Offering Inspiration For Organic Solar Cells

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 21:12:35 +0000

An interesting observation on the way wasps live and how their body works led some UK and Israeli scientists to the conclusion that they may be harnessing solar power just like a photovoltaic solar cell.

The post Wasps Convert Sunlight Into Electricity, Offering Inspiration For Organic Solar Cells appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

New Leaf-Mimicking Solar Cells Using Chlorophyll-Infused Water Gel

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 12:13:52 +0000

Solar cells currently used are mostly bulky and made from silicon and other non-recyclable materials, hence they're not as green as they should be. Mimicking nature might be a solution to this problem. More exactly, North Carolina State University researchers have prototyped a water-based solar cell, mimicking the functioning of a leaf, to produce electricity.

The post New Leaf-Mimicking Solar Cells Using Chlorophyll-Infused Water Gel appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

A New Step Taken Towards Spray-On Solar Cells and Self-Powered e-readers

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:08:11 +0000

University of Florida researchers have invented spray-on polymers that can reflect or transmit any color, and can be applied to glass or plastics as well. "That's what this newest paper is about, but we've also developed polymer coatings for all the other colors of the spectrum," said John Reynolds, a scientist at the University of Florida who led a team that developed the clear-to-black polymers.

The post A New Step Taken Towards Spray-On Solar Cells and Self-Powered e-readers appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Jellyfish Protein Serves as Organic Solar Cell; Could Be Used in Health Implants

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:45:56 +0000

Recently, Zackary Chiragwandi at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, and his colleagues have developed a solar cell based on a green fluorescent protein (GFP) from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria.

The post Jellyfish Protein Serves as Organic Solar Cell; Could Be Used in Health Implants appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

New Organic Framework for More Efficient Graetzel Solar Cells Discovered

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:50:29 +0000

Scientists from Cornell University have unveiled a basic process that could give solar cells a boost in efficiency and a drop in price. The process employs molecules typically used in coloring blue jeans and in ink dyes. Their purpose if to build an organic framework that could serve as a building block for cheaper and flexible solar cells.

The post New Organic Framework for More Efficient Graetzel Solar Cells Discovered appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Optical Fibers Mounted Upright on Organic Solar Cells Doubling Their Efficiency

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:46:05 +0000

Right now organic solar cells, although cheap, are too inefficient to compete with silicon-based ones. A team of researchers from Wake Forest University in North Carolina have developed a practical method of doubling the efficiency of organic (or dye-sensitized) solar cells by adding a layer of upright optical fibers acting as sunlight traps.

The post Optical Fibers Mounted Upright on Organic Solar Cells Doubling Their Efficiency appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Graphene Flakes With Attached Brushes Improving Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:38:09 +0000

Until now, graphene could have theoretically been incorporated into the dye used to make the Graetzel cell to improve its efficiency, but what stopped the scientists to do that was that it always clumped together, forming graphite, which is of no use for a solar cell.

The post Graphene Flakes With Attached Brushes Improving Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Chemistry Professor Innovation Making Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells More Efficient and Durable

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:56:21 +0000

Dye-sensitized (Graetzel) solar cells have been in the spot of many minds since they were first created in early ’90s by Michael Graetzel, from EPFL, Switzerland. Until now, dye-sensitized solar cells only proved to be cheap, but also inefficient. New technologies are expected to improve their performances. Graetzel cells work on the same principle photosynthesis […]

The post Chemistry Professor Innovation Making Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells More Efficient and Durable appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Stolen Electrons from Green Alga Demonstrate New Kind of Organic Solar Cells

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:02:13 +0000

WonHyoung Ryu at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, working with overseas colleagues from Stanford, found an interesting way of hybridization between a green alga, Chlamydomonas, and gold nanowires, to directly collect the electrons produced through photosynthesis by the plant.

The post Stolen Electrons from Green Alga Demonstrate New Kind of Organic Solar Cells appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

Solarmer's Organic Solar Cells Getting Real Hopes to Enter Mainstream Market

Ovidiu Sandru — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:14:39 +0000

A CA-based company, Solarmer Energy, is now collaborating with professor Luping Yu, from the University of Chicago, to build the best cheapest flexible polymer solar cell ever, one that will be able to reach 10 percent efficiency.

The post Solarmer's Organic Solar Cells Getting Real Hopes to Enter Mainstream Market appeared first on The Green Optimistic.

SolarWindow Empowers Your Windows to Produce Electricity

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 21 May 2009 21:10:43 +0000

New Energy Technologies Inc developed an organic solar array that is both transparent and produces electricity. They made use of conductive polymers, a thousand times thinner than human hair, assembled them together, and - voilÃƒÆ’ ! Here's a working solar cell less then 1/4 the size of a grain of rice, producing electricity just like its big silicon brother, only cheaper.

The post SolarWindow Empowers Your Windows to Produce Electricity appeared first on The Green Optimistic.