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US scientists find cheaper and more efficient solar panel materials
Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University have spent five years collaborating on the development of a groundbreaking ceramic material, which they've integrated into a novel solar electromagnetic panel. This new technology is not only more efficient than current market options but also significantly cheaper to produce. Unlike traditional panels that rely solely on ultraviolet light, this innovative design harnesses visible and infrared light as well, broadening its energy capture potential.
Compared to conventional photovoltaic materials, this ceramic offers three key advantages. First, it's much thinner than silicon-based alternatives and serves a dual function as both a structural and energy-harvesting material. Second, it’s less expensive than today’s high-end thin-film solar cell materials. Third, it’s a ferroelectric material, meaning its polarity can be adjusted, allowing it to surpass the theoretical efficiency limits of existing solar technologies.
One major issue with current solar cells is that the particles capturing sunlight tend to scatter in multiple directions. To guide them in one direction, they must pass through several layers, each time losing some efficiency. The team’s design minimizes these layers, reducing energy loss. They created perovskite crystals using potassium niobate and niobium nickel niobate, which are six times more light-absorbent and 50 times denser than today’s semiconductor materials. Plus, the material’s performance can be fine-tuned by adjusting its composition. It’s also cost-effective, non-toxic, and made from abundant natural resources.
The research team has already conducted early experiments at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, part of the U.S. Department of Energy. If this design can be scaled up from the size of a sticky note to a full-sized solar panel, it would mark a major step toward making solar energy more accessible and affordable for widespread use.