A Stanford University researcher has found new technology that could lead to cheaper and more efficient solar cells, but the early model is less powerful than the status quo.
Adding a thin layer of organic molecules to each solar cell, Chemical Engineering Professor Stacey Bent said she believes that her "quantum dot" technology could increase efficiency threefold, cut manufacturing costs and eventually lead to lower retail costs for consumers. Bent discussed the technology Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C.
"I wondered if we could use our knowledge of chemistry to improve their efficiency," Bent said in a statement.
Bent's experiment extended the way solar cells create electricity. Sun hits the cells, exciting electrons, and they jump to higher energy levels. It happens so fast that the electrons leave a hole, like a shadow, in their old location. This reaction causes an electrical current, resulting in solar power.
Mainstream solar panels are made of silicon—a single material—and reach a maximum efficiency of 31 percent. Because of the extra organic layer in Bent's technology, efficiency could reach three times that. Her team, however, has only achieved .4 percent efficiency so far, according to the statement.
The material she is using is not ideal for solar technology, according to the statement, so Bent plans to experiment with other organic materials and possibly change the entire design of the solar cell. These changes could maximize the efficiency, according to the statement, and may lead to a wider acceptance of solar technology.
