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Solar energy: Charged for the future
September 11, 2006Once regarded as costly and impractical, solar technology is now poised to play a larger role in the future, thanks to new developments that could result in lower costs and improved efficiency. Potential applications include cell phones, computers, automobiles, homes and office buildings. The American Chemical Society will address the progress and challenge of this technology during a first of its kind symposium, "Science and Technology of Next Generation Photovoltaics," from Sunday, Sept. 10, through Tuesday, Sept. 12, in San Francisco during the Society's 232nd national meeting. All papers in this symposium, which begins at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, will be presented at the San Francisco Marriott, Salon C2.
Here are a few highlights of research toward improving the efficiency of solar cells:
"Plastic" solar cells show gains in performance - Nobel Prize winner Alan J. Heeger, Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of California, Santa Barbara, say that new developments in "plastic" solar cells, particularly chemical modifications to titanium oxide layers, could provide efficiencies of up to 15 percent in the future. He already has developed plastic solar cells with efficiencies between 5 percent and 6 percent, considered among the highest to date for this type of solar cell. These developments could pave the way for wider use of plastic solar cells, a type of conducting polymer, which are increasingly seen as a low cost, efficient and long-lasting source of solar energy. Heeger, a professor at the University, shared the 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his contributions toward the discovery of plastics that conduct electricity. His presentation will be delivered by study co-author and University colleague Kwanghee Lee, Ph.D. (PMSE 020, Sunday, Sept. 10, 8:35 a.m.)
Ultrathin, dye-sensitized solar cells called most efficient to date - Researchers in Switzerland have developed dye-sensitized solar cells that have reached the highest efficiencies to date among a new generation of thin film photovoltaic devices that show promise as a low-cost energy source. The new cells, composed of an ultrathin film of nano-sized semiconductor crystals such as titanium dioxide, have been shown in laboratory studies to produce efficiencies of 11 percent, whereas most new solar cells have efficiencies between 4 percent and 5 percent, according to Michael Graetzel, Ph.D., a chemist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne. These cells, which can be engineered into inexpensive, flexible sheets, could be used as coatings on glass windows to supply electric power to homes and businesses or as coatings on tents to supply power for soldiers in the field. The cells could be used in consumer applications within two to three years, the researcher says. (PMSE 174, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 8:30 a.m.)
Carbon nanotubes could boost efficiency of solar cells - Researchers at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana say they have found a new and promising way to boost the efficiency of solar cells. In preliminary studies, carbon nanotubes that were engineered into the architecture of semiconductor solar cells (composed of cadmium sulfide, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) resulted in a doubling of the cells' photoconversion efficiencies (converting light into energy). In some cases, the efficiency of solar cells jumped from 5 percent to 10 percent in the presence of carbon nanotubes, according to Prashant Kamat, Ph.D., a professor of chemistry at the University. Carbon nanotubes also could be added to other types of solar cells, such as dye-sensitized solar cells and organic solar cells based on conducting polymers, to create similar or even stronger efficiency boosts, he says.
American Chemical Society
Ultrathin, dye-sensitized solar cells called most efficient to date - Researchers in Switzerland have developed dye-sensitized solar cells that have reached the highest efficiencies to date among a new generation of thin film photovoltaic devices that show promise as a low-cost energy source. The new cells, composed of an ultrathin film of nano-sized semiconductor crystals such as titanium dioxide, have been shown in laboratory studies to produce efficiencies of 11 percent, whereas most new solar cells have efficiencies between 4 percent and 5 percent, according to Michael Graetzel, Ph.D., a chemist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne. These cells, which can be engineered into inexpensive, flexible sheets, could be used as coatings on glass windows to supply electric power to homes and businesses or as coatings on tents to supply power for soldiers in the field. The cells could be used in consumer applications within two to three years, the researcher says. (PMSE 174, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 8:30 a.m.)
Carbon nanotubes could boost efficiency of solar cells - Researchers at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana say they have found a new and promising way to boost the efficiency of solar cells. In preliminary studies, carbon nanotubes that were engineered into the architecture of semiconductor solar cells (composed of cadmium sulfide, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) resulted in a doubling of the cells' photoconversion efficiencies (converting light into energy). In some cases, the efficiency of solar cells jumped from 5 percent to 10 percent in the presence of carbon nanotubes, according to Prashant Kamat, Ph.D., a professor of chemistry at the University. Carbon nanotubes also could be added to other types of solar cells, such as dye-sensitized solar cells and organic solar cells based on conducting polymers, to create similar or even stronger efficiency boosts, he says.
American Chemical Society
Solar Energy News and Current Solar Energy Events RSSNew efficiency record for solar cells
The efficiency improvement is achieved by the use of an ultra-thin aluminum oxide layer at the front of the cell, and it brings a breakthrough in the use of solar energy a step closer.
Berkeley Researchers Identify Photosynthetic Dimmer Switch
In a study of the molecular mechanisms by which plants protect themselves from oxidation damage should they absorb too much sunlight during photosynthesis, a team of researchers has discovered a molecular "dimmer switch" that helps control the flow of solar energy moving through the system of light harvesting proteins.
Scientists head to warming Alaska on ice core expedition
The state of Alaska has the dubious distinction of leading the lower 48 in the effects of a warming climate. Small villages are slipping into the sea due to coastal erosion, soggy permafrost is cracking buildings and trapping trucks.
On the Energy Trail: Berkeley Researchers Find New Details Following the Path of Solar Energy During Photosynthesis
Imagine a technology that would not only provide a green and renewable source of electrical energy, but could also help scrub the atmosphere of excessive carbon dioxide resulting from the burning of fossil fuels.
Argonne scientists develop techniques for creating molecular movies
They may never win an Oscar, but scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have developed techniques for creating accurate movies of biological and chemical molecules, a feat only theorized up until now.
More safety for cell phone batteries
Fraunhofer researchers will be presenting a novel lithium-ion battery at Hannover Messe on April 21 - 25. It is based on a polymer electrolyte, which is - unlike the liquid electrolyte in conventional lithium-ion batteries - not inflammable. A test set-up for redox flow batteries will also be on display at the show.
Popcorn-ball design doubles efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells
A new approach is able to create a dramatic improvement in cheap solar cells now being developed in laboratories.
The future of solar-powered houses is clear
People could live in glass houses and look at the world through rose-tinted windows while reducing their carbon emissions by 50% thanks to QUT Institute of Sustainable Resources (ISR) research.
Electricity and gas consumption at a glance
People who want to save energy should always keep an eye on their consumption. The EWE Box offers customers a neat solution: It enables private households to monitor their electricity and gas consumption whenever they want - and save costs thanks to new pricing models.
Black carbon pollution emerges as major player in global warming
Black carbon, a form of particulate air pollution most often produced from biomass burning, cooking with solid fuels and diesel exhaust, has a warming effect in the atmosphere three to four times greater than prevailing estimates, according to scientists in an upcoming review article in the journal Nature Geoscience.
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