Article

2006-01-17 Science & Technology

Another possible breakthrough in Photovoltaics

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by mhw 2006-01-17 08:31|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Great! Except the article has no data. Current organic dye solar cells have only 4% efficiency (and they absorb in the near IR) vs 12% efficiency for amorphous silicon cells (120 watts per square meter).

In fact, the best organic solar cells absorb and convert only about 1/3 of the total available light utilizing primarily the visible portion of the spectrum.
I'm not sure how they calculate that, but if was true, then organics would already be at least 17% efficiency vs the 4% usually cited. And with a price of about 1/2 of amorphous silicon cells, I wouldn't shingle my roof with them yet.

What is more interesting technically are gallium-indium cells that have greater than 50% efficiency from the IR to visible to ultraviolet, though the materials are expensive.

Posted by ed 2006-01-17 11:01|| 2006-01-17 11:01|| Front Page Top

#2 yes they didn't give much data; I suspect that is because their solar cell was so small it would have been a bit embarrassing

yes also that gallium-indium cells are promising; but, sadly, there just aren't very many deposits of this stuff

Posted by mhw 2006-01-17 11:51|| 2006-01-17 11:51|| Front Page Top

23:47 Shieldwolf
23:32 Shieldwolf
23:30 anymouse
23:28 DMFD
23:26 DMFD
23:19 Mick Jagger
23:00 trailing wife
22:59 trailing wife
22:52 Alaska Paul
22:15 Phuck Snereger9321
22:11 gromgoru
22:11 CaziFarkus
22:08 CaziFarkus
21:50 lotp
21:46 Anonymoose
21:20 jpal
21:14 mhw
21:06 Zenster
21:02 ex-lib
21:01 twobyfour
21:00 whitecollar redneck
20:58 ex-lib
20:55 ex-lib
20:53 Claviter Omuque3310