SciDev.Net
Science and Development Network
News, views and information about science, technology and the developing world
News
Study paves way for cheap, efficient solar cells
Source: Science
27 March 2002 | EN
Cost-effective solar energy may soon be a reality, according to a report on a new approach to making solar cells.
Inorganic solar cells — which have relatively high solar conversion efficiency of 10 per cent — are currently too expensive for widespread use. Plastic-based solar cells, on the other hand, are cheaper but much less efficient, converting only 2.5 per cent of available light into energy.
Now, Wendy U. Huynh and colleagues from the University of California, United States have drawn from the best of both worlds by combining plastic polymers with semiconducting nanorod-shaped molecules.
They report in the 29 March issue of Science that solar cells made with this hybrid material have a power conversion efficiency of 6.9 percent.
Reference: Science 295, 2425 (2002)
Inorganic solar cells — which have relatively high solar conversion efficiency of 10 per cent — are currently too expensive for widespread use. Plastic-based solar cells, on the other hand, are cheaper but much less efficient, converting only 2.5 per cent of available light into energy.
Now, Wendy U. Huynh and colleagues from the University of California, United States have drawn from the best of both worlds by combining plastic polymers with semiconducting nanorod-shaped molecules.
They report in the 29 March issue of Science that solar cells made with this hybrid material have a power conversion efficiency of 6.9 percent.
Reference: Science 295, 2425 (2002)
.jpg)
Add your comment
All comments are subject to approval and we reserve the right to edit comments containing inappropriate/unsuitable language. SciDev.Net holds copyright for all material posted on the website. Please see terms of use for further details.
You need to be signed in to post a comment or to email a consenting comment author. Please sign in or sign up.