Solar Panels More Efficient Thanks To Nano-sized “Popcorn Balls”
By Nick April 22, 2008
Scientists are trying to improve the technologies that make renewable energy a possibility. Solar cells are one of the best, but as you know they are not very efficient therefore researchers are looking to improve their current 20 percent efficiency with a part of the remaining 80 percent.
An interesting idea comes from the University of Washington which consists of dye-sensitized solar cells that are very cheap and now they managed to improve their efficiency by developing from nano-sized kernel, “popcorn balls”. The researchers multiplied large grains by adding hundreds of minuscule grains therefore they managed to double their efficiency because the light was absorbed from all the wavelengths of the visible light.
Although we are encouraged by this breakthrough, we should mention that at the beginning the dye-sensitized cells had an efficiency of 2.4 percent. The researchers from the University of Washington hope that there will not be long until they are successful in the quest for those 20 percent.
Topics: Energy |
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Nano technology offers so many new ways to create and re-use older technologies by making them more efficient and this is a great idea.