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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 working together to develop a groundbreaking ceramic material. This innovation led to the creation of a new type of solar electromagnetic panel that is not only more efficient than current market options but also significantly cheaper to produce. Unlike traditional panels, this technology harnesses not just ultraviolet light, but also visible and infrared light, expanding its energy capture capabilities.
Compared to conventional photovoltaic materials, this ceramic-based solution offers three key advantages. First, it's thinner than silicon-based alternatives and functions as both a structural and energy-harvesting material. Second, it’s less expensive than high-end thin-film solar cell materials currently available. Third, it’s a ferroelectric material, meaning its polarity can be adjusted to potentially surpass the theoretical efficiency limits of existing solar technologies.
One of the main challenges in solar cell performance is the way photons move through the material. When they enter, they tend to scatter in multiple directions, requiring them to pass through several layers to generate electricity. Each layer reduces efficiency. The new design minimizes these layers, reducing energy loss. The team used potassium niobate and niobium nickel niobate to create perovskite crystals, which are six times more effective at absorbing light and 50 times denser than today’s semiconductor materials. Plus, the material’s efficiency can be fine-tuned by altering its composition. It’s also low-cost, 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 commercial viability. This development could revolutionize the solar industry by making clean energy more accessible and affordable for everyone.