Printable Solar Cells- from Tom

Subject: Printable nanomaterial solar cells transform windows into energy generators


Printable solar cells transform windows into energy generators
Added: August 25, 2009



GLOBE-Net (August 25, 2009) One of the biggest drawbacks of solar cells available on the market today is their high cost, which keeps homeowners from opting for renewable energy generation. A research conducted at the University of Texas At Austin could answer the problem with the development of a new type of solar cells, which could easily be printed like a newspaper.

Thin-film solar technology, a process that involves coating surfaces with inky, light-absorbing materials, could reduce solar energy costs by a factor of 10, said chemical engineering professor Brian Korgel, who oversees research in the field.

"We’re essentially making material you can pat onto a surface and make solar cells that way," Korgel said. "With our process, you can basically print solar cells like you print newspaper."

The researchers are aiming to reduce the cost of solar cells by as much as 90% by replacing the expensive gas-phase deposition in a vacuum chamber with a new nanomaterial solution. The cells are based on the use of specialized inks that can be printed using a roll-to-roll printing process on a plastic substrate or even stainless steel.

The light-absorbing nanomaterials are 10,000 times thinner than a strand of hair and because of this microscopic size they carry better physical properties that can enable their use in higher-efficiency devices. Currently the cells developed are only 1% efficient, but the research team is hoping that the final version, which could take about 5 years to develop, will be at least 10% efficient.
The cost of solar energy in its current form can make it an unrealistic option for many homeowners. The average pricetag of a 3-kilowatt solar system, which is most often the system installed in homes, is $22,000, said Austin Energy spokesman Ed Clark.
See also this article: Plan to turn rooftops, walls and windows into cheap solar cells
Source: University of Texas .