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Tuesday, 28 January 2025

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Two new solar breakthroughs claimed

In recent weeks two new solar breakthroughs have been reported. The first one, announced by the University of Delaware (US), claims a big innovation in the production of solar cells. The second one, at Massey University (New Zealand), claims a drop in solar costs by filling solar panels with synthetic dye. The University of Delware's process involves flexible materials that can be produced in rolls and later cut, but it does this with a higher solar power to energy than in existing flexible solar surfaces. The new system enables a more efficient manufacturing process for flexible solar cells, forming long sheets by using roll-to-roll reactors, thus allowing “extremely high production throughputs and reducing manufacturing costs”, according to Mr Erten Eser, an Associate Scientist at IEC.

As www.renewableenergymagazine.com reported last March, the solar cell sheets are created by depositing copper-indium-gallium-diselinide (CIGS) on a 10-inch wide polymer web, which is then processed into the flexible solar cells. These cells are the only thin-film technology that has achieved efficiencies comparable to silicon solar cells so far. The university does not have the facilities to set up a pilot plan, and is looking for potential outside investors or partners to do this.

The second of the innovations was claimed in New Zealand, very far away from Delaware. New cells developed by the Nanomaterials Research Centre of the University of Massey need very little sunlight to operate and use a patented range of dyes that can be impregnated in roofs, glass and even clothes. "This is a proof-of-concept cell," said Mr Wayne Campbell, a Researcher at the University, pointing to a desktop demonstration model. "Within two to three years we will have developed a prototype for real applications. The technology could be sold off already, but it would be a shame to get rid of it now", he added. The centre, who claims to be world leader in this technology, is now looking for funding to go commercial.

The development of the dyes was funded by the Royal Society of New Zealand for fundamental work and the Founation for Research, Science and Technology, and has taken about one decade to complete. The biggest advantage of this new technology is that it is able to operate in very low light conditions, making them great for cloudy skies. It is also environmentally friendly as it uses titanium dioxide, a non toxic material already used in many consumer products. Soon we will see this new technology in roofs, glasses, walls, and maybe even in our hats, charging our MP3 player.

For additional information:
www.udel.edu
www.massey.ac.nz
Tags: Solar
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