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Nanotech Solar Cell Minimizes Cost, Toxic Impact

Posted by Soulskill on from the now-if-we-could-just-make-it-small dept.

bonch writes "Researches at Northwestern University have developed an inexpensive solar cell intended to solve the problems of current solar cell designs, such as high cost, low efficiency, and toxic production materials (abstract). Based on the Grätzel cell, the new cell uses millions of light-absorbing nanoparticles and delivers the highest conversion efficiency reported for a dye-sensitized solar cell."

3 of 95 comments (clear)

  1. Oh neat! by Narcocide · · Score: 5, Insightful

    More ground-breaking world-changing solar technology that will neither break ground or change the world because it will never make it to the consumer.

  2. Not bad, actually by tocsy · · Score: 5, Informative

    Before we get a lot of comments saying "what's so good about this?" it's actually pretty interesting. I did some undergraduate research with dye-sensitized solar cells (and am currently a graduate student researching inorganic semiconductors) and the basic thing you hear is that if you can get an organic solar cell to 10% efficient, they will be viable because they're so much cheaper than inorganics. While this may be true, the problem with dye-sensitized cells is, like they say in the paper, that they degrade in a rather short period of time. I saw this first-hand doing research on them - we had to make sure our batches were kept in darkness while making them otherwise the solution would degrade in a matter of hours, and after they were made I believe they only lasted a few months. If you can make 10% efficient organic solar cells that will last as long as inorganic ones (typically 20-30 years), you have a very attractive alternative to brittle, expensive and often toxic inorganics. I didn't see in the paper how long their new cells are supposed to last but anything you can do to make it more stable is going to help.

  3. I won't be rushing out to buy one yet by barv · · Score: 5, Interesting

    There are three factors that must converge to make it economically sensible to go solar electric.
    1). Grid parity. This is when the amortized cost of power from the solar electric system costs less than power off the local grid.
    2). When the cost per KWH per year stops dropping so rapidly. A corollary of Moore's law applies.
    3). Storage. We need a low cost & efficient power storage system. Flywheel, hydro, battery, even hydrolysis. Lightweight batteries or hydrogen fuel cells that could be swapped into the car would be best.
    At the current technology curve, it should be here within a decade in the sunny parts of the world.