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Science/Tech See other Science/Tech Articles Title: Spray-On Solar Cells? New Nanoparticles Make Solar Cells Cheaper to Manufacture ug. 30, 2013 — University of Alberta researchers have found that abundant materials in Earth's crust can be used to make inexpensive and easily manufactured nanoparticle-based solar cells. The discovery, several years in the making, is an important step forward in making solar power more accessible to parts of the world that are off the traditional electricity grid or face high power costs, such as the Canadian North, said researcher Jillian Buriak, a chemistry professor and senior research officer of the National Institute for Nanotechnology based on the U of A campus. Buriak and her team have designed nanoparticles that absorb light and conduct electricity from two very common elements: phosphorus and zinc. Both materials are more plentiful than scarce materials such as cadmium and are free from manufacturing restrictions imposed on lead-based nanoparticles. "Half the world already lives off the grid, and with demand for electrical power expected to double by the year 2050, it is important that renewable energy sources like solar power are made more affordable by lowering the costs of manufacturing," Buriak said. Her team's research supports a promising approach of making solar cells cheaply using mass manufacturing methods like roll-to-roll printing (as with newspaper presses) or spray-coating (similar to automotive painting). "Nanoparticle-based 'inks' could be used to literally paint or print solar cells or precise compositions," Buriak said. Buriak collaborated with U of A post-doctoral fellows Erik Luber of the U of A Faculty of Engineering and Hosnay Mobarok of the Faculty of Science to create the nanoparticles. The team was able to develop a synthetic method to make zinc phosphide nanoparticles, and demonstrated that the particles can be dissolved to form an ink and processed to make thin films that are responsive to light. Buriak and her team are now experimenting with the nanoparticles, spray-coating them onto large solar cells to test their efficiency. The team has applied for a provisional patent and has secured funding to enable the next step to scale up manufacture. The above story is based on materials provided by University of Alberta. The original article was written by Bev Betkowski. Related Stories New Possibilities for Solar Power (July 10, 2012) — Researchers have made a significant breakthrough in solar technology. A newly developed solar photovoltaic thermal system generates both electricity and ... > read more Cheap and Efficient Solar Cell Made Possible by Linked Nanoparticles (Sep. 26, 2011) — Researchers have demonstrated that electrons can move freely in layers of linked semiconductor nanoparticles under the influence of light. This new knowledge will be very useful for the development ... > read more New Generation Of Solar Cells Promises Efficiency (July 24, 2009) — Scientists have produced thin film solar cells made from compound semiconductors which are already reaching a 12 percent efficiency. Thin film solar cells are considered the next generation of solar ... > read more Natural Solar Collectors On Butterfly Wings Inspire More Powerful Solar Cells (Feb. 5, 2009) — The discovery that butterfly wings have scales that act as tiny solar collectors has led scientists in China and Japan to design a more efficient solar cell that could be used for powering homes, ... > read more New Optics For Improved Solar Power Generators (Oct. 9, 2008) — Researchers are hoping to achieve higher solar cell efficiency involves using special coatings on solar cells that split light into colors like blue and red, which scientists estimate will increase ... > read more Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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