Itâs the Holy Grail at clean energy research labs all over the world and something which could address long term energy issues domestically and beyond: more efficient photovoltaic solar. Weâve told you about scientists studying full-spectrum cells, using textured substrates, trying self-regenerating nanomaterials â weâve even reported on an anti-reflective film inspired by a coating found in moth eyes. Now a Stanford team is claiming a breakthrough in making cheaper, more efficient panels by adding a single layer of organic molecules to solar cells. The researchers studied this technique on a fairly new type of solar cell that uses tiny particles of semiconductors called quantum dots. Quantum dot solar cells are cheaper to produce than traditional silicon cells, but they havenât caught on due to their relative inefficiency. For Stacey Bent, a chemical engineering professor at Stanford, this represented something of a challenge. She knew that solar cells made of a single material have a maximum efficiency of about 31 percent, a limitation of the fixed energy level they can absorb, and that quantum dot solar cells didnât share this limitation. âQuantum dots can be tuned to absorb a certain wavelength of light just by changing their size,â the Stanford report on her research says. âAnd they can be used to build more complex solar cells that have more than one size of quantum dot, allowing them to absorb multiple wavelengths of light.â So Bent and her team coated a titanium dioxide semiconductor in their quantum dot solar cell with a very thin single layer of organic molecules. They found that just that single layer, less than a nanometer thick, was enough to triple the efficiency of the solar cells. Even with this breakthrough, thereâs still work to do: Bent said the cadmium sulfide quantum dots sheâs been using arenât ideal for solar cells, so her group plans to try other molecules for the organic layer, while also tinkering with the solar cell increase light absorption. Her theory is, said Stanford, that once the sunâs energy creates an electron and a hole, the thin organic layer helps keep them apart, preventing them from recombining and being wasted. The group has yet to optimize the solar cells, and they have currently achieved an efficiency of, at most, 0.4 percent. But the group can tune several aspects of the cell, and once they do it is said, the threefold increase caused by the organic layer would be even more significant.
it's comical to suggest people, so-called "regressives", would be against harnessing the power of the sun .... it's also comical to suggest that we be forced, (by way of artificial shortages), to rely on harnessing the power of the sun before it's economically feasible ... it's also comical to suggest those feverishly working on a new energy source are doing so purely with altruism as their driver ... to summarize, you're a joke
I'm guessing you are a young person. Who doesn't know that we didn't go to the moon for money, but a higher purpose. That we didn't win WWII for money, but for a higher purpose. Solar would help to liberate the US from the oil producing/terrorist funding nations. In better days, this would have been a no brainer that people and the country would sacrifice to help the war against terror by installing solar panels. People like you just don't see a bigger picture. Sad, really sad. People like you would be considered unPatriotic slime for your thinking during WWII, right up to Reagan and the destruction of America that he ushered in.
"been a no brainer that people and the country would sacrifice to help the war against terror by installing solar panels" that's fucking rich, who is this "we" anyhow ... you're barely an American, take your "we" and stick it up your nose arguing with those positioned firmly on the left always requires baby-speak. Ok, so, gooo-gooo-gaaaaa-gaaa, that should settle it ....
It's good to see that you have "progressed" beyond the global warming myth... That's "progress" on your end.
"Ok, so, gooo-gooo-gaaaaa-gaaa, that should settle it .... " Guess I was right about you being a young person...at least not a mature person.
well, you're only as old as you feel, and you are only as worthless as you are... "solar panels!!!!!!" YEAHHHHH
Solar would help to liberate the US from the oil producing/terrorist funding nations. ------------------------------- We waste plenty of fuel waiting to pay a toll on a road. On the flip side, having a Subway and dunkin donuts every 2 miles across the country conserves oil. Personally I'm very comfortable never changing the oil in my SUV. I do what I can. Helps balance things out.