Materials
University of Michigan Develops Paint-On Plastic Electronics
01 April 2013POSTED IN Research
University of Michigan engineers have developed a new method for getting semiconductor polymers in line that could pave the way for cheaper, greener, "paint-on" plastic electronics.
US PV Consortium and NREL Team to Develop Thin-Film PV
15 March 2013POSTED IN Applications News
The US Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium (PVMC), an industry-led collaboration headquartered in New York at the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE), has partnered with the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to improve manufacturing processes for thin-film CIGS photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules, including products, metrology and reliability that will support the US solar industry in the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of next-generation solar PV systems.
Neutron Scattering Technique May Increase Thin-Film Solar Efficiency
11 March 2013POSTED IN Research
Engineers and scientists from the University of Sheffield, UK, have pioneered a new technique — called SERGIS — to measure the structure of PCBM crystallites (a fullerene derivative of the C60 buckyball) in thin-film solar cell materials, which will ultimately help to make the cells more efficient.
Yale’s Carbon Nanotube Thin Film Could Advance Si Solar Cells
04 March 2013POSTED IN Research
A carbon nanotube (CNT) thin film developed by researchers at the Yale University could prove a novel and cost-effective way to realise superior photovoltaic properties of crystalline solar cells. The hybrid carbon nanotube/silicon solar cells may have unmatched power conversion efficiency.
EU Trade Investigation into Solar Glass from China
01 March 2013POSTED IN Politics and Policy News
The European Commission launched an investigation on Thursday into claims that Chinese solar glass producers are dumping their products in the EU at rates below market value, according to a news report by Philip Blenkinsop for Reuters.
Sunrise Achieves 20.3% Efficiency with DuPont Aluminum Pastes
25 February 2013POSTED IN Applications News
DuPont Microcircuit Materials and Sunrise Global Solar Energy Corporation announced today that they have produced solar cells with conversion efficiencies of 20.3% using newly commercialized DuPont Solamet PV36X series aluminum photovoltaic metallization pastes for rear-side passivation of silicon solar cells.
Layered Oxide Heterostructures for Ultra-Efficient, Ultra-Thin Solar Cells
24 February 2013POSTED IN Research
In their quest for advanced solar cell materials, researchers at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Vienna), Austria, in collaboration with colleagues from Germany and the US, are exploring a new class of materials where single atomic layers are combined to create novel materials with entirely new properties. Computer simulations revealed that layered oxide heterostructures hold great potential for ultra-efficient, ultra-thin solar cells.
Holographic Optic Could Double Efficiency, Slash Cost of Silicon Solar Modules
18 February 2013POSTED IN Research
The companies Apollon in Dresden, Germany and Solar Bankers in Arizona (US) have collaboratively created silicon-based solar cells that could be twice as efficient as existing panels, thanks to a holographic foil. The enhanced concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) modules use 90% less silicon and could solve the problem of efficiency losses caused by heat. The novel devices, which achieved 28% power conversion efficiency in tests, are thus expected to be inexpensive enough to be manufactured in Germany or the US.
If Darwin Had Designed a Solar Cell…
11 February 2013POSTED IN Research
Using a mathematical search algorithm based on natural evolution, researchers at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois (US) have designed a geometrically patterned light-scattering layer that could make organic solar cells more efficient and less expensive by maximizing the time light is trapped in the device.
Astrum Solar Teams with DuPont on Solar Standards
06 February 2013POSTED IN Business News
Astrum Solar has reached an agreement with DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions to collaborate on standards for solar installations.
The companies say the agreement is designed to speed home solar installations through the adoption of product specifications that improve efficiency and lifetime, lower costs and increase returns on investments.
More Efficient, Cheaper Solar Cells with InP Nanowires
04 February 2013POSTED IN Research
Research at Lund University in Sweden has shown how nanowires could pave the way for more efficient and cheaper solar cells. The indium phosphides (InP) nanowires function like antennae that absorb sunlight and generate power at 13.8% conversion efficiency. What is more, the nanowires only covered 12% of the surface in the experiment, potentially making this solar technology remarkably sustainable for its reduced use of semiconductor materials.
Researchers Aim to ‘Green Up’ Clean Technology
25 January 2013POSTED IN Applications News
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded researchers a grant to explore ways in which biological-based materials can be used in solar panels, wind turbine blades and other components for the clean-energy industry.
Multi-Junction Solar Cell to Break Efficiency Barrier
22 January 2013POSTED IN Research
The US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is kicking off a collaborative three-year materials and device development programme to explore multi-junction (MJ) solar devices that could break the 50% conversion efficiency barrier under concentrated illumination. The major technology breakthrough needed to push the efficiency of a triple-junction solar cell much beyond the current world record of 44% could come with novel semiconductor materials lattice-matched to Indium phosphide (InP). NRL researchers have already produced a realistically achievable design for such a record-breaking lattice-matched multi-junction solar cell.
Dow Corning, Crystal Solar Partner on Silicon-based PV
22 January 2013POSTED IN Business News
Dow Corning and Crystal Solar have said they plan to develop a business relationship to supply high-performance, silicon-based materials for photovoltaic cells and modules.
The two companies also intend to assess options for developing high-performance building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) solutions for building and construction, focusing on both commercial and residential applications.
ECM Debuts Low Temperature Curing Conductive Adhesive
15 January 2013POSTED IN New Products
Engineered Conductive Materials (ECM), a global supplier of conductive interconnect materials for photovoltaic (PV) applications, introduces the DB-1569-1 Low Temperature Curing Conductive Adhesive for use in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and organic photovoltaics (OPV). This material formulation has been optimised for conductivity and stability on various substrates when cured at 80°C (176°F) or higher.
GT Advanced Technologies Restructures
10 January 2013POSTED IN Business News
GT Advanced Technologies announced the details of its restructuring plan, which includes management changes, layoffs and idling its HiCz plant in Missouri (US).
The Branford Group Schedules Konarka Asset Auctions
07 January 2013POSTED IN Business News
The Branford Group, in conjunction with Joseph Finn Company, today announced it will conduct a series of auctions for the assets formerly of Konarka Technologies, an OPV (organic photovoltaic) technology and thin-film plastic solar panel developer.
Solar Scientist Named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Energy
02 January 2013POSTED IN Research
When Trisha Andrew, an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, first learned that she has been named to Forbes magazine's 30 Under 30 in Energy, she thought ‘What am I doing on this list?’ “There is a plethora of fantastic, bright scientists pushing the boundaries of how we generate, harvest and store energy,” says the talented innovator and former MIT fellow. And the Forbes editors have decided the organic chemist deserves a place in this distinguished group.
Peel-and-Stick Thin-Film Solar Panels
28 December 2012POSTED IN Research
Flexible thin-film solar panels have been in the focus of photovoltaics researchers for quite some time. The realm of applications for the widespread heavy, rigid solar panels is limited, and the technology is unsuitable for the design of wearable devices that would be integrated in clothing, for instance. Now, researchers at Stanford University in California (US) have succeeded in developing the world’s first peel-and-stick thin-film solar cells.
Potassium Calcium Nitrate Promising for CSP Heat Storage
18 December 2012POSTED IN Research
The Norwegian company Yara International has identified a new grade of potassium calcium nitrate with promising thermal properties and innovated a second-generation molten salt specifically for heat storage and transfer applications at concentrated solar power (CSP) plants.
