Cheaper Solar Cells Are On The Way

. Some University of Torontos scientists have recently demonstrated that inexpensive nickel can substitute gold for one of the critical electrical contacts which collect the electrical current created by their colloidal quantum dot solar cells. According to the information presented in the July 12, 2010 issue of Applied Physics Letters, this means that it is now possible to reduce a solar cells cost by 40 to 80 percent.

Considering that about half of all sunlight is in the infrared wavelengths, most of which cannot be collected by silicon-based solar cells, quantum dot solar cells are a breakthrough in sunlight collection. Quantum dots are nanoscale bits of a semiconductor material created with low-cost high throughput chemical reactions in liquid solutions. These can be made to match the illumination spectrum as their properties vary according to their size.

Quantum dot solar cells, which can collect both visible and infrared light, at a power-conversion efficiency of up to 5 per cent, have been being developed by scientists at the University of Toronto. The same scientists are now continuing research in these solar cells to reach the 10 percent conversion efficiency before commercialization.

But research to build cheaper solar cells is widespread. The journal Applied Physics Letters, published by the American Institute of Physics (AIP) has reported that solar power could potentially be collected by using oxide materials containing selenium.

According to this report a team at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California, has embedded selenium in zinc oxide, which is a relatively inexpensive material. It was discovered that a small quantity of selenium dramatically increased the zinc oxides efficiency in terms of light absorption.

When it comes to solar power technology, if you come up with a new idea, it probably is already being researched somewhere in the globe.

by: E Lopes

POST COMMENT

Why Should We Choose Energy Foods? Solar Air Heat Is An Easy And Inexpensive Way To Heat Your Home The Beauty Found In New York Furniture Stores The Option Of Energy Efficient Air Conditioning Is Yours How To Save Money On Solar Panels M Audio Studiophile Av30 Professional Reference Speakers Takes You To A Whole New Level How The New Bankruptcy Law Influences Consumers Solar Power How Does It All Work? Faq Running Solar Power At Your Home How Do I Design A Solar Power System? The Search For New Document Collaboration Software The New Neck Travel Pillow Giving Style, Practicality And Design A New Name: Travel Wheelchairs