Researchers Develop Low Cost High Efficiency Solar Technology

The researchers at the RTI international have devised a new solar technology that makes solar energy more affordable and thereby increasing its usages.

Formed from solutions of semiconductor particles known as colloidal quantum dots, the RTI solar cells are known for their power conversion efficiency that makes it different from the traditional cells that is easily affordable.

The researchers have used low cost material in developing the RTI solar cells and the processing technique that drops the primary cost of the photovoltaic production.

According to the report suggested by the RTI,"Preliminary analysis of the material costs of the technology show that it can be produced for less than $20 per square meter -- as much as 75 percent less than traditional solar cells."

"Solar energy currently represents less than 1 percent of percent of the global energy supply, and substantial reductions in material and production costs of photovoltaics are necessary to increase the use of solar power," said Ethan Klem, a research scientist at RTI and co-principal investigator of the project. "This technology addresses each of the major cost drivers of photovoltaics and could go a long way in helping achieve that goal."

The RTI-developed cells which are composed of lightweight, flexible layers can be processed at room temperature, further reducing input energy requirements and cost.

The new findings are carried in the Applied Physics Letters.

The researchers had conducted demonstration tests in which they noticed the cells provided power conversion efficiency more than 5 percent.

"The efficiency of these devices is primarily limited by the amount of sunlight that is absorbed," said Jay Lewis, a senior research scientist at RTI and the project's other principal investigator. "There are many well-known techniques to enhance absorption, which suggests that the performance can increase substantially."