Professor Federico Rosei and his team at the Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications Research Centre at Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), in Canada, have demonstrated that applying a thin film of metallic oxide significantly boosts the performance of solar panel cells.
The researchers have developed a new class of materials made up of elements like bismuth, iron, chromium and oxygen. These “multiferroic” materials absorb solar radiation and possess unique electrical and magnetic properties. This makes them highly promising for solar technology, and also potentially useful in devices like electronic sensors and flash memory drives.
The research results are discussed in an article published in Nature Photonics by researcher and lead author Riad Nechache.
The INRS research team discovered that by changing the conditions under which a thin film of these materials is applied, the wavelengths of light that are absorbed can be controlled. A triple-layer coating of these materials, barely 200 nanometers thick, captures different wavelengths of light.
Much more light is converted into electricity with this coating than previous trials conducted with a single layer of the same material. With a conversion efficiency of 8.1% reported by Nechache and his coauthors, making this a major breakthrough in the field.
The team currently plans to add this coating to the traditional single-crystal silicon solar cells that are currently available on the market. They believe doing this could increase maximum solar efficiency by 18% to 24%, while also boosting cell longevity.
As this technology draws on a simplified structure and processes, as well as abundant and stable materials, new photovoltaic (PV) cells will be more powerful and cost less. This means that the INRS team’s breakthrough may make it possible to reposition silicon PV cells at the forefront of the highly competitive solar energy market.
At UPS Battery Center, our goal isn’t to only sell batteries, we want to inform and teach you about the amazing world of batteries, electricity and energy. Please check back for more interesting, helpful and informative articles about batteries and electricity.
Related Articles:
How solar panels help to prevent global warming?
Practical benefits of solar thermal panels
Recycling Old Car Batteries to Make Solar Cells
Making Solar Electricity more Affordable