Hairy Solar Panels Could Result From Nanowire Breakthrough
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 02. 7.08
Solar panels are constantly improving and breaking records. We often hear about new exotic materials and strange shapes, but this could be the weirdest announcement yet: Researchers at McMaster University (coolest name ever) have succeeded in 'growing' light-absorbing nanowires made of high-performance photovoltaic materials on carbon-nanotube fabric. The nanowires are made from exotic materials like gallium arsenide, indium gallium phosphide, etc, and they can absorb more energy from the sun than silicon, allowing the creation of both efficient and flexible solar panels .
The aim is to produce flexible, affordable solar cells composed of Group III-V nanowires that, within five years, will achieve a conversion efficiency of 20 percent. Longer term, he says, it's theoretically possible to achieve 40 percent efficiency, given the superior ability of such materials to absorb energy from sunlight and the light-trapping nature of nanowire structures. By comparison, current thin-film technologies offer efficiencies of between 6 and 9 percent.
Wow. Up to 40% for flexible panels!
But if it is known that the exotic materials used here are more efficient than silicon at converting light into electricity, why aren't they already used? Cost. That's the beauty of the nanowire approach; Each nanowire is 10 to 100 nanometers wide and up to five microns long, so very little pricey metal is used, keeping material costs down. Yet because of their shape, they absorb light quite well.
The research team, led by Ray LaPierre, a professor in the university's engineering physics department, has been given three years to achieve its goals--backed by about $600,000 from the Ontario government and private-sector research partner Cleanfield Energy, a Toronto-area developer of wind and solar technologies.
Best of luck to them!
::Flexible, Nanowire Solar Cells
See also: ::New Solar Panels Produced at Less Than $1 Per Watt, ::40% Efficient Solar Cells: They Are Being Used Back On Earth, ::Holographic Solar: New Method of Concentrating Sunlight Could Be Cheaper, ::Screen-Printed Solar Cells Come in a Variety of Colors and Patterns, Ideal for Building
Are the panels more fragile? I guess they can find a way to protect the nanowire layer somehow.. Doesn't need to be exposed to air..
Hmm, increased surface area.
I wonder if thin film solar panels are translucent and could be stacked?
vsk
Great. Cheap, efficient solar is here . . . again. Why is it that every other day there is some fantastic new solar breakthrough that has the potential to revolutionize the industry, but none of them ever translate into affordable solar cells people can actually buy?
vsk: you should do some searching for multi band gap PV and holographic solar collectors.
Only problem some experts think there is only a 10 year supply at current levels of usage of some of these rare elements such as indium. Miracles that will allow 6 billion people to consume the same amount of energy as we do today are hard to find.
Actually, Indium is the 61st most abundant substance on Earth, and the talks about "10 years left" are considered to be scaremongering.
But even if that's true, a new breakthrough means that we can replace it with graphene, which is so abundant it's not funny.
the aim is to produce... could....theoretically possible...
There is an enormous difference between producing a lab sample and a useful product, which is why there are frequent announcements of new material, and so few of shipping products.
From the link:
"It's still early days for McMaster, which in prototypes has only achieved low efficiencies--"where silicon PV was in the 1950s," says LaPierre. But he's optimistic that the higher-efficiency materials and the approach chosen will get results.
Everything starts in the lab, that's no argument against it.
It is a great example of how important shape is for function, and optimization.
The exotic metals used do give this a somewhat limited market, and it would be nice to see some serious research using more 'life friendly' materials that take a cue about the 'hairy shape'.
Maybe look to polar bear hairs that direct and capture light?
Fun post.
Anyone else notice how much it looks like grass? The kind you cut with a lawnmower. Science imitates nature.
This is great! All the solar panels I've bought eventually broke from wind and storm damage! I see this as one more step toward very durable panels!
:D
Mike
CIO - NeverBeFiredAgain.com
ALL WELL AND GOOD BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE NANOPARTICLES AND EXOTIC PARTICLE COMPOSITION WHEN IT IS RELEASED INTO THE EARTH OR SCRAPPED INTO A WASTE DUMP. SHOULDN'T WE BE CONSIDERING THE WHOLE LIFE CYCLE OF THESE NEW INVENTIONS AND HOW IT ULTIMATELY CAN CYCLE BACK INTO ADVERSE CONDITIONS FOR THE EARTH AND HUMAN HEALTH?
you make a valid point there PJ, but what's more pressing is the way that you use all caps to say it. :P
is there a way to .. make a tree generate electricity? ...
So why is McMaster the coolest name for a University ever? I have a certain personal interest since I did my undergrad in civil engineering at this fine establishment. Anyway, neat looking technology from what is consistently ranked as one of the top three research schools in Canada.
One way to get a tree to make energy is to burn it. McMasters is like a McMansion, you just drive thru and they hand you your degree, I guess. It looks like a green roof... How long are those fibers? I wonder if we can get grass to make energy...
I, for one, am always thrilled by new advances in the solar energy area. I have a friend, however, who has worked in the energy area, and is always a skeptic. I emailed this to him and he came back with how will it track?
How will it track, does anyone know? That, at this time, is a major expense in the power distribution system. I wonder if anyone is working on a solar tracking system that is like the sunflower, alway pointing at the sun?
Fascinating stuff. Another area where solar has a lot of potential, especially in the so-called third world, is solar ovens.
Google Answers had a terrific summary of the current uses of solar cooking, and the future prospects for various technologies:
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=314366
Solar Cooking
Worth a look!
According to my knowledge, highest convert rate for silicon panel is 20%, for CIGS it is 12%, what's this solar panel made from? It can get 40% rate, incredible.