The Thin-Film Solar Cell Has A New World Record
By Nick April 11, 2008
Scientists moved one step closer to getting the thin-film solar cells to be as efficient as the silicon-based ones. The new world record was set by researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Miguel Contreras,senior scientist at NREL, defined the moment as an important milestone in the thin-film industry.
The energy conversion efficiency of multicrystalline silicon-based solar cells stands at 20.3 percent, meaning this is how much of the sunlight received is transformed into electricity. The NREL team achieved 19.9% efficiency for the thin-film cells. These cells are integrated into thin layers of semiconductor material which are applied, unlike the silicon solar panels, onto low cost surfaces such as flexible metallic foils, glass or stainless steel sheets.
Because of this, they might be a cheaper alternative to obtaining solar energy for popular uses. Researchers were able to achieve this level of efficiency by improving the quality of the material applied in the manufacturing process.
Topics: Energy |
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