A new European Union funded research project called “ROD-SOL” aims to improve the efficiency of thin-film solar cells using nanotechnology. The three year project has a budget of EUR 4 million and may yield a breakthrough for solar power.
While current photovoltaic cells have an energy conversion efficiency rate around 18% (Mitsubishi holds the world record at 18.9%), this efficiency is set back by the extremely costly nature of producing such cells. Thin-film solar cells are expected to dominate the future market due to their low production cost and versatile nature. The goal of the EU-funded research is to boost the efficiency of thin-film cells (currently around 10%) by implementing silicon nano-rods.
The ROD-SOL project hopes to develop and optimize the synthesis of silicon nano-rods onto either metal foils or glass. Researchers propose that the tiny structures are perfect for trapping light energy in a way that it can be transformed into electricity.
I have been tracking the progress of thin-film solar materials for some time, and feel that this research will prove to be a definite benefit for the technology. For more information on thin-film solar cells, check out PowerPlastic®.
Image Credit: Neil Wykes at Flickr under a Creative Commons liscense
Source: nanotechwire.com
