Photovoltaic solar energy will require a quantum leap in price performance to become competitive. That quantum leap in economic viability may be on the way. Technology Briefing
Transcript
Photovoltaic solar energy will require a quantum leap in price performance to become competitive with clean coal, natural gas, and the next generation of nuclear fission. Simply put, most people and businesses cannot afford to place solar panels on their rooftops. And that's why photovoltaic companies can't survive without enormous subsidies.
According to research recently published in the journal Advanced Materials, that quantum leap in economic viability may be on the way. Researchers at the University at Buffalo are developing a new generation of photovoltaic cells that produce more power and cost less to manufacture than anything available today.
This new technology uses plasmonic-enhanced organic photovoltaic materials. These devices don't match traditional solar cells in terms of energy efficiency, but they are dramatically less expensive and they can be "painted" onto a variety of surfaces.
Currently, solar power is produced with either thick polycrystalline silicon wafers or thin-film solar cells made up of inorganic materials, such as amorphous silicon or cadmium telluride. Both are expensive to manufacture.
The new research involves thin-film solar cells, but unlike those now on the market, these use organic polymers and small molecules that are carbon-based and less expensive. In fact, organic photovoltaics can be fabricated over large areas on rigid or flexible substrates, meaning they could become as cheap as paint.
The power conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaics needs to be 10 percent or more to compete in the market. To achieve that benchmark, the University at Buffalo researchers are incorporating metal nanoparticles and patterned plasmonic nanostructures into the organic photovoltaic cells. Plasmons are electromagnetic waves and free electrons that can be used to oscillate back and forth across the interface of metals and semiconductors.
If organic photovoltaics reliably and cost-effectively break the 10 percent efficiency barrier, the technology will represent a genuine game-changer for solar. In either case, investing in traditional photovoltaic technology appears to be a losing proposition.
Comments
The brief is good, but the life of the product is also a major factor. Typical panels are 20 to 30 year use. Article is true that efficiency needs to be raised. The 10% number seems low compared to typical PV panels of upper teen values. The lower value would require more surface area for the same amount of power generation.
Other developments in the work is focused on improving collection by increasing the wavelength of conversion (one company is layering on different bandwidth of cells to reach the 40%+ efficiency), collection angle (using lenses for off-perpendicular light collection), and general efficiency improvement in the cell itself.
Derek Koonce, DDK Interactive Consulting Services, USA
