Solar cells cheaper and more efficient with low-quality Silicon

We told you of a new line of innovation in manufacturing of photovoltaic solar cells seems to reach one of the most important objectives for future of solar energy approach: increase efficiency and reduce the cost of the electricity generation.

Singapore researchers have taken advantage of the advanced technology that has developed in the creation of nanostructures to make a highly efficient Silicon cell and still cheaper. With this development, the researchers hope that the cost of solar energy can be reduced by half, which could certainly mean the opening of the renewable to millions of people in the world.

This development was carried out jointly by the University of technology of Nanyang (NTU) and the to * STAR Institute of microelectronics (IME). These new thin film solar cells using Silicon low-quality, a cheaper material, allowing a low final price. Exceptional for his invention is that they have found a technique which can generate electricity flows similar to those produced by traditional solar cells that contain such expensive high quality Silicon.

The new nano-estructuradas solar cells NTU-A * STAR can produce a stream of (34.3mA/cm2) - a world record for a solar cell of Silicon of class. This is possible through the creation of a unique texture using nanostructures on the surface of the solar cell, which are thousands of times smaller than a human hair.

To compare the resulting electrical current with the results of other types of solar cells, we can see it quite close to the traditional cells which is 40mA/cm2. While the conventional solar thin film cells typically produce about half of this stream.

The adoption of solar energy worldwide is hampered in large part by the high cost of traditional solar panels , and this is because they are made with high quality Silicon. To rectify this, has been used - as you had above - to low-quality amorphous silicon , a thin film has no texture-- which is 100 times thinner. However this material - is its natural form - is not as effective to convert sunlight into electricity, so it produces less energy.

The developed method is then to create a unique texture on the surface of amorphous, Silicon using nanostructures and thus improves the efficiency of conversion of energy (PCE) of thin film silicon cell and therefore increases the production of energy.

More about high efficiency solar cells:

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Solar cells with efficiency of 45 %

High efficiency solar cells

A Virus improves the efficiency of solar cells

Solar Cell film fine record of 28.2% efficiency

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New Generation Inverters to Drive Down Cost of Solar Power: Interview with Silicon Valley’s Array Power

Digital and solid state electronics are reshaping the way solar power systems are designed and built, holding out the promise of higher, more efficient performance at significantly lower cost and with a smaller footprint. This is especially true in the market for inverters, which convert direct current (DC) from modules or batteries to the alternating current (AC) used to light and power homes, buildings, appliances and industrial and commercial processes.

As auto manufacturers have done in recent decades, power inverter designers and manufacturers are increasingly using semiconductors and digital, solid state electronics rather than traditional electronic components to design and build power inverters, and they’re incorporating them into solar power modules themselves. They’re also redesigning the wiring and architecture of solar power arrays to increase system performance and efficiencies, as well as make it easier and less costly to install solar power systems capable of reliably supplying grid-ready, commercial-grade electricity.

Based in Sunnyvale, California, Array Power is one of a number of power inverter designer/manufacturers that’s taken advantage of Solar Power International (SPI) 2011 in Dallas this week to launch new product lines.

In Array Power’s case, that includes launching the Array Power Sequenced Inverter, as well as the start-up coming out of Silicon Valley “stealth mode.” Its Sequenced Inverter is the first in the world that reliably converts DC power to grid-ready, commercial-grade, three-phase sequenced AC, according to the company.

A Quintessential Silicon Valley Start-Up

The Antenna Group’s Tomi Maxted and Kimberly Setliff organized a Skype video interview for Clean Technica with Array Power CEO Wendy Arienzo and director of business development Nick Cravalho.

The creation of Array Power is the quintessential story of a Silicon Valley start-up as Ms. Arienzo describes it. Founded in 2008, the company’s origins go back to a Silicon Valley garage where a group of inventors with expertise in solar and power electronics and semiconductor technology joined in an effort “to perfect a completely novel approach to solar power conversion.”

Successful in their initial efforts, the company’s founders were able to attract seed capital from venture capital firms and attracted the interest of a California manufacturer of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, one of the top 10 in the world. Arienzo and Cravalho left us guessing as to exactly which company this might, as they were unable to disclose the name.

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