NanoComputer

Scientists at Aalto University – Finland, have demonstrated results that show a huge improvement in the light absorption and the surface passivation of silicon nanostructures. This has been achieved by applying atomic layer coating. The results advance the development of devices that require high sensitivity light response such as high efficiency solar cells.

- This method provides extremely good surface passivation. Simultaneously, it reduces the reflectance further at all wavelengths.These results are very promising considering the use of black silicon (b-Si) surfaces on solar cells to increase the efficiency to completely new levels, tells researcher scientist. Päivikki Repo.
More effective surface passivation methods than those used in the past have been needed to make black silicon a viable material for commercial applications. Good surface passivation is crucial in photonic applications such as solar cells. The research has just been published in the Journal of Photovoltaics. The research is carried out by Aalto University, Finland, together with experts from Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Germany.
Source: http://www.aalto.fi

Solar cells convert sunlight into electricity using semiconductor materials that exhibit the photovoltaic effect – meaning they absorb photons and release electrons that can be channeled into an electrical current. Photovoltaics are the ultimate source of clean, green and renewable energy but today’s  technologies utilize relatively scarce and expensive semiconductors. But now  High efficiency solar cells could be made from virtually any semiconductor material. This technology has been developed by researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California (UC) Berkeley. 

“It’s time we put bad materials to good use,” says physicist Alex Zettl, Director of the Center of Integrated Nanomechanical Systems (COINS), who led this research along with colleague Feng Wang. “Our technology allows us to sidestep the difficulty in chemically tailoring many earth abundant, non-toxic semiconductors and instead tailor these materials simply by applying an electric field.”“Our technology reduces the cost and complexity of fabricating solar cells and thereby provides what could be an important cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative that would accelerate the usage of solar energy.”

Source. http://newscenter.lbl.gov/feature-stories/2012/07/26/photovoltaics-from-any-semiconductor/

UCLA researchers have developed a new transparent solar cell that is an advance toward giving windows in homes and other buildings the ability to generate electricity while still allowing people to see outside. Their study appears in the journal ACS Nano. The UCLA team describes a new kind of polymer solar cell (PSC) that produces energy by absorbing mainly infrared light, not visible light, making the cells nearly 70% transparent to the human eye. They made the device from a photoactive plastic that converts infrared light into an electrical current.

Source. http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/ucla-researchers-create-highly-236698.aspx

In a paper published in Nature Communications, a team of engineers at Stanford describes how it has created tiny hollow spheres of photovoltaic nanocrystalline-silicon and harnessed physics to do for light what circular rooms do for sound. The results, say the engineers, could dramatically reduce materials usage and processing cost.

“Nanocrystalline-silicon is a great photovoltaic material. It has a high electrical efficiency and is durable in the harsh sun,” said Shanhui Fan, a professor of electrical engineering at Stanford and co-author of the paper. “Both have been challenges for other types of thin solar films.” The downfall of nanocrystalline-silicon, however, has been its relative poor absorption of light, which requires thick layering that takes a long time to manufacture. By depositing two or even three layers of nanoshells atop one another, the team teased the absorption of light  higher still. With a three-layer structure, they were able to achieve total absorption of 75% of light in certain important ranges of the solar spectrum.

Source: http://engineering.stanford.edu/news/nanoshell-whispering-galleries-improve-thin-solar-panels

Picture a world where your jeans or coat can generate enough energy to charge the battery on your mobile phone or a future where the curtains in your living room help power your lamps. Well it could be closer than you think.” Scientists from th Center  for  nanotechnology and smart materials – CENTI -, located in Portugal,  are working on the development of photovoltaic textiles based on novel fibers and  their project DEPHOTEX has been selected  by the European Commission  among 450 projects and was one of the 50 projects on display in the exhibition "Innovation convention" held in last december. The goal of the project is to research and develop textile solar cells in order to get flexible photovoltaic textiles based on novel fibres allowing taking benefit from the solar radiation so as to turn it into energy. Photovoltaic solar energy is being widely studied as one of the sources of renewable energy with major application potential, being considered a real alternative to fossil fuels. Since the development of first photovoltaic cells, solar energy is being an object of continuous research focused on improving the energy efficiency as well as the structure of photovoltaic cells.

Source; http://www.centi.pt/

“Solar photovoltaics still remains one of the fastest growing industries in the world. To enable more efficient  utilization of this free, clean energy, the efficiencies of the solar cells have to increase and their manufacturing costs decrease.  ROD-SOL’s silicon nanorod cell concept shows promising potential to this, and we at Picosun have been especially satisfied of the ALD’s central role in realizing this novel, innovative, high efficiency solar electricity converter”, states Picosun’s Managing Director Juhana Kostamo.

Source: http://www.picosun.com/pdf/Picosun_Press_Release_RODSOL_Eng_FINAL_31st_Dec_2011.pdf