Scientists at MIT have just recently created more efficient ways to capture sunlight within thin-film solar cells. These solar cells are made of a new kind of silicon which are much more efficient and cost less. This new prototype combines a highly effective reflector on the back of a solar cell with an antireflective coating on the front. By adding silicon to these new types of solar cells, they can capture sunlight and produce electricity up to 15% more than the regular commercial cells. On modern solar cells each are backed with a metal layer which reflects light. Scientists backed surface of a silicon solar cell to make it so that it can capture and reflect sunlight. Scientists etch a series of ridges and troughs where on top they deposit a photonic crystal. The crystals make the light stay inside the cell longer increasing the chance of changing it into electricity. This new prototype can hopefully create enough electricity to where we now longer need power plants. This can help decrease the amount of pollution and decrease the effects of global warming.
5 comments:
Mark,
This environmental technology has the potential to ultimately stop or even reverse global warming. Think of the potential if power plants are no longer needed. Cars, homes, businesses can all run on solar power with no harmful side effects. Great post!
This is an interesting topic. With the rising prices of fuel, becoming energy efficient seems to be the only logical solution. By eliminating the need for power plants not only would we decrease pollution but we could also focus more security to somewhere else. Although we may not see the worst effects of global warming in our lifetime, we need to think of future generations and acting now is the only way to prevent that.
This is really good and I like the part that it helps decrease the amount of pollution and decrease the effects of global warming.
Did you know that "Conventional solar cells use silicon wafers that are approximately 200 micrometers thick, while thin-film devices have thicknesses of a few micrometers"?
http://sixthcolumn.typepad.com/duckwalls/2008/12/efficient-thin.html
Although this new thin-film solar cells are great to prevent pollution thin-film solar cells suffer from low efficiencies because of red or near infrared photons.
Aside from that this is great because of the less pollution it puts into the environment.
http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/21755/?a=f
Andrew - how does the red or near infrared photons effect the efficiency?
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