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Hairy Solar Cells Could Mean Higher Efficiency

By Staff • Published May 19th, 2008 • Further Reading  

Sun reflects from a solar panel

A new manufacturing process could mean improved efficiency for solar cells. The technique, which is being pioneered by researchers at the University of California, San Diego, results in “hairy” solar cells.

The hairs are visible only on the microscopic level. They’re actually nanowires: tiny silicon or metallic structures used to complete very small circuits.

The UC San Diego research sounds similar to a project announced last week by a consortium of German universities, working on concert with Harvard’s Science department. At UC San Diego, scientists were able to grow nanowires directly on an inexpensive indium tin oxide conductive surface. The nanowires were then coated with an organic polymer. The German project bonds their nanowires with spun glass.

Boosting solar cell efficiency

NanowiresIn both cases, the idea is the same: use nanowires to more efficiently conduct electrons from the collection surface of the solar cell to an electrode. Contemporary thin-film solar cells provide no direct conduit for electron travel.

If the process scales well, it has the potential to dramatically improve the efficiency of next-generation solar photovoltaic panels.

“If nanowires are going to be used massively in photovoltaic devices, then the growth mechanism of nanowires on arbitrary metallic surfaces is an issue of great importance,” said Paul Yu, a professor at UC San Diego, and a member of the project team which published the nanowire research. “We contributed one approach to growing nanowires directly on metal.”

Is this the next big thing?

There are still some engineering challenges to be traversed before UC San Diego’s new process could be brought to market. One is the durability of the polymer layer, which currently degrades when exposed to air. It’s possible that the German group’s spun-glass method may prove more commercially attractive.

But “hairy” solar cells could represent a significant advance in photovoltaic energy technology. That might lead to smaller, cheaper, easier-to-deploy solar panels a few years down the line — bring us a bit closer to a sun-powered future.

More Reading:

Nanowires May Boost Solar Cell Efficiency (NewsWise)
Method For Integrating Nanowire Devices Directly Onto Silicon Developed (Science Daily)

  • Uncle B
    Better solar cells are the way to the future. My problem is I can't find the website that described a new depleted Uranium battery being developed by the American military to store the solar power for nighttime use.
    I want to light my next 'eco-friendly, geothermal, solar heated, solar powered, super insulated, designed for lowest running costs, survival oriented home complete with garden, greenhouse, low water consumption, et al' using solar but need a way to save daytime solar peak power and intermittent wind power practically.
    America is on the edge of convulsive social change that will take us off our dependence on oil and lead to a more satisfying way of life. We only need a few more breakthroughs like the transistor, for example; high efficiency solar cells, high capacity rechargeable batteries, and plausible hybrid electric commuter cars, and we will be there!
  • What about hairy black surfaces that will make for better heat absorption as well as no or little emitted heat radiation. I heard something about a nearly perfect "black" substance made out of carbon nanotubes. Light goes in and gets absorbed. It's like shining light down a bunch of pipes.
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