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Physorg.com: V-shaped solar cells could lead to better efficiency
By MB-BigB | December 23, 2007
Peter Peumans and his colleagues at Stanford University have found that by taking organic solar cells and bending them to form a v-shape, they significantly increased the efficiency of the cell. Peumans explains why the v-shape makes a difference: since most cells are made on planar substrates, “When the light hits it, there is only one bounce – only once chance for the light to be absorbed.” The v-shape, he continues, creates an environment in which the light can bounce around. “Every time the light bounces, it has a chance to be absorbed into the cell.”
Peumans said that they were able to increase the output of the thin film cells by 52%. A cost analysis should that although the cost to produce the cells could be higher, the overall results would be a lower cost solar panel per installed watt.
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Topics: Solar Power |