News tagged with solar cells
Dopant gives graphene solar cells highest efficiency yet
(Phys.org) -- By taking advantage of graphenes favorable electrical and optical properties, and then adding an organic dopant, researchers have achieved the highest power conversion efficiency yet for ...
Scientists investigate mystery of telephone cord buckles
(PhysOrg.com) -- Ranging in thickness from a few nanometers to several micrometers, thin films and coatings play a role in a wide variety of applications. The reflective metal layer on a mirror, the coatings ...
Tube-shaped solar cells could be woven into clothing
(PhysOrg.com) -- Titania semiconducting nanorods grown on the surface of carbon fibers look more like bristles on a tiny hairbrush than a solar cell, but the novel configuration could have several advantages ...
Blunt nanostructures could make high-efficiency solar cells easier to fabricate
(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the most promising methods for increasing the efficiency of solar cells consists of coating the cells surfaces with a thin layer of metal nanoparticles. The nanoparticles scatter ...
Scientists design solar cells that exceed the conventional light-trapping limit
(PhysOrg.com) -- The best performing solar cells are those that are thick enough to absorb light from the entire solar spectrum, while the cheapest solar cells are thin ones, since they require less, and potentially ...
Researchers prepare cheap quantum dot solar paint
(PhysOrg.com) -- It typically takes a day or two to prepare quantum dot solar cells in the conventional multifilm architecture. Now a team of researchers is reducing the preparation time of quantum dot solar ...
Plasmonic device converts light into electricity
(PhysOrg.com) -- While the most common device for converting light into electricity may be photovoltaic (PV) solar cells, a variety of other devices can perform the same light-to-electricity conversion, such ...
Millions of molecules screened in search for the ideal organic solar cell material
(PhysOrg.com) -- Currently, the cost of electricity from commercial silicon solar cells is about 10 times higher than the cost of utility-scale electricity. In order to make solar cells cost-competitive with ...
Tiny tech, big results: Quantum dot solar cells increase solar conversion efficiency
The race to achieve ever-higher photovoltaic conversion ratios is, so to speak, a hot area of research. One line of research has focused on quantum dots semiconductor nanocrystals under 2-10 nanome ...
Graphene quantum dots could lead to low-cost solar cells and OLEDs
(PhysOrg.com) -- Fabricating photovoltaic devices those that convert sunlight into electricity out of organic materials has several advantages over using non-organic materials, such as flexibility ...
Nano-LEDs emit full visible spectrum of light
(PhysOrg.com) -- Physicists from Taiwan have designed and fabricated nano-sized light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that emit light spanning the entire visible spectrum. Although the tiny full-color LEDs aren't intended ...
Study raises questions on what causes silicon solar cell degradation
(PhysOrg.com) -- After several hours of exposure to sunlight, silicon solar cells experience light-induced degradation, which can decrease their efficiency by up to 10%. In a new study, scientists have attempted ...
Quantum dots with built-in charge boost solar cell efficiency by 50%
(PhysOrg.com) -- For the past few years, researchers have been using quantum dots to increase the light absorption and overall efficiency of solar cells. Now, researchers have taken a step further, demonstrating ...
Cheap, abundant cathode material found for producing hydrogen fuel (w/ video)
(PhysOrg.com) -- By replacing catalysts made of expensive noble metals like platinum with cheaper, earth-abundant materials, researchers have taken a step toward enabling the large-scale production of hydrogen ...
New inexpensive, environmentally friendly solar cell shines with potential
(Phys.org) -- The limitations of conventional and current solar cells include high production cost, low operating efficiency and durability, and many cells rely on toxic and scarce materials. Northwestern University researchers ...
Technology / Energy & Green Tech
May 23, 2012 |
4.8 / 5 (13) |
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Solar cell
A solar cell or photovoltaic cell is a device that converts light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. Sometimes the term solar cell is reserved for devices intended specifically to capture energy from sunlight, while the term photovoltaic cell is used when the light source is unspecified. Assemblies of cells are used to make solar panels, solar modules, or photovoltaic arrays. Photovoltaics is the field of technology and research related to the application of solar cells in producing electricity for practical use. The energy generated this way is an example of solar energy (also called solar power).
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