from the the-light-at-the-end-of-the-printer dept.
A [University of Toronto] Engineering innovation could make printing solar cells as easy and inexpensive as printing a newspaper. Dr. Hairen Tan and his team have cleared a critical manufacturing hurdle in the development of a relatively new class of solar devices called perovskite solar cells. This alternative solar technology could lead to low-cost, printable solar panels capable of turning nearly any surface into a power generator.
[...] "The most effective materials for making ESLs [electron-selective layers] start as a powder and have to be baked at high temperatures, above 500 degrees Celsius," says Tan. "You can't put that on top of a sheet of flexible plastic or on a fully fabricated silicon cell — it will just melt."
Tan and his colleagues developed a new chemical reaction than enables them to grow an ESL made of nanoparticles in solution, directly on top of the electrode. While heat is still required, the process always stays below 150 degrees C, much lower than the melting point of many plastics.
The new nanoparticles are coated with a layer of chlorine atoms, which helps them bind to the perovskite layer on top — this strong binding allows for efficient extraction of electrons. In a paper recently published in Science, Tan and his colleagues report the efficiency of solar cells made using the new method at 20.1 per cent.
Efficient and stable solution-processed planar perovskite solar cells via contact passivation. Science 02 Feb, 2017. DOI: 10.1126/science.aai9081
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 20 2017, @06:33AM
The costs of the panels is not my problem. It is the cost of install. ~25-30k before rebate to install a system at my home. 15-20k of that is install. Material is in the 5-6k range.
More efficient is better as I can lower the install cost. Most common ones people buy in the 15-20% range. So their claims put them in the top of typical consumer panels. If we can get 40-50% type panels costs down that would be something. As I can do half the number of panels and probably reduce my install cost by at least 1/3rd.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 20 2017, @07:13AM
Printable solar panels should have much lower install costs because they are much lighter.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by gawdonblue on Monday February 20 2017, @10:10AM
My asbestos roof leaks a bit and should be replaced but it costs a bloody fortune to dispose of. I want something that goes over the top of the asbestos to keep the rain out but also acts as a solar generator. The local university has been promising like this for years, but I'm giving up hope. Maybe that stuff Musk is promising might do the job.
Does anyone know of a currently available product?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 20 2017, @10:49AM
Perhaps asbestos Solar Panels?
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 20 2017, @04:09PM
Firefighters might be in favor of thin plastic solar roof panels. With current glass/silicon panels, they are effectively blocked from entering a burning house through the roof. This could be even worse if glass "solar shingles" are used instead of normal shingles. In some cases roof/attic entry is the best way to fight a house fire.
There is also the separate problem of running into dangerous voltages and ignition sources in a solar powered house when it's full of smoke, even if mains power is turned off external to the house. This could be from active panels in day time, or from battery storage/fire if that is part of the system.
Electric & hybrid cars have similar problems for rescue crews, but in this case the car companies have been very helpful with first responder training. Not so (according to my informal source) for training by the residential solar industry.