Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and North Carolina State University have found a way to increase solar cell efficiency by up to 30 percent. Their research should allow for more diversity in the application of solar power which in turn is good news for the environment and the financial viability of solar power.

The research, published in Advanced Materials, applies to organic solar cells. Organic cells are newer polymer based solar cells which are less efficient than traditional silicon based cells but which have a broader range of uses than silicon cells and are less expensive to manufacture.

The key to the breakthrough is a polymer known as PBT-OP created by a team of chemists led by Jianhui Hou from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. PBT-OP is a new polymer made from three monomers. Monomers are identical molecules that can be bonded to one another to form chains called polymers. Two of these monomers are readily available and the third can be easily synthesized. Together these monomers avoid the use of fluorine, which is traditionally used in solar cell polymers but using fluorine complicates and increases the cost of the manufacturing process.

According to North Carolina State physicist Harald Ade:

“The possible drawback in changing the molecular structure of these materials is that you may enhance one aspect of the solar cell but inadvertently create unintended consequences in devices that defeat the initial intent,” he says. “In this case, we have found a chemically easy way to change the electronic structure and enhance device efficiency by capturing a lager fraction of the light’s energy, without changing the material’s ability to absorb, create and transport energy.”

All of this comes at a fortuitous time given that Wall Street has recently expressed a renewed interest in solar power and related stocks. Obviously more money for the solar industry and the ability to expand its applications is good news for the environment and energy independence.

source: Eurekalert