Breakthrough in Inorganic Solar Cell Production

by Reden Rodriguez on August 01, 2006

A major deal breaker for most innovative technologies is the cost of commercial production. For example, the cost of prototype cars goes beyond several million dollars because the technological infrastructure to build them is that expensive. Even with the promise of high sales volume, the development cost cannot be justified until a better, more economical approach to mass production is found.

 

The case is true for conventional solar cells. The prohibitive cost of producing solar cells translates to low penetration rates in significant consumer markets. Conventional inorganic solar cells, which have achieved significant level of efficiencies, are yet to be widely available and used because of high development cost.

Researchers from Berkeley Lab and the University of California however, have announced a breakthrough in the manufacture of inorganic dual-nanocrystal cells. Researchers say that a cost breakthrough has been discovered for manufacturing cheap and stable inorganic solar cells.

Researcher Ilan Gur said that these inorganic nanocrystals have the same features as organic solar cells --- scalable and controlled synthesis, decreased sensitivity to doping, broadband absorption, and superior electron transport properties. Current energy conversion rates are around 3%, comparable to conventional organic solar cells but still far from inorganic, silicon-based solar cells.

The obvious next step is to look at how efficiencies can be increased. It looks like a long road still but the future may look brighter for inorganic solar cell use soon.