Maker Pro
Maker Pro

3-D solar cells boost efficiency

H

H. E. Taylor

Jan 1, 1970
0
2007/04/12: Eureka: 3-D solar cells boost efficiency while reducing size, weight and complexity
Resembles 'nano-Manhattan'

Unique three-dimensional solar cells that capture nearly all of the light that strikes
them could boost the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) systems while reducing their size,
weight and mechanical complexity.

The new 3D solar cells capture photons from sunlight using an array of miniature "tower"
structures that resemble high-rise buildings in a city street grid. The cells could find
near-term applications for powering spacecraft, and by enabling efficiency improvements in
photovoltaic coating materials, could also change the way solar cells are designed for a
broad range of applications.

"Our goal is to harvest every last photon that is available to our cells," said Jud Ready, a
senior research engineer in the Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory at the Georgia Tech
Research Institute (GTRI). "By capturing more of the light in our 3D structures, we can
use much smaller photovoltaic arrays. On a satellite or other spacecraft, that would mean
less weight and less space taken up with the PV system."

The 3D design was described in the March 2007 issue of the journal JOM, published by
The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society. The research has been sponsored by the Air Force
Office of Scientific Research, the Air Force Research Laboratory, NewCyte Inc., and
Intellectual Property Partners, LLC. A global patent application has been filed for
the technology.
[...]
<http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-04/giot-3sc041107.php>


See also:
2007/04/11: IBTimes: New Solar Panel Design Traps More Light
<http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20070411/techbit-better-solar-panel.htm>


<regards>
-het



--
"When the well is dry, we know the worth of water." -Ben Franklin

PV FAQ: http://www.autobahn.mb.ca/~het/energy/pv_faq.html
First novel: _Water_
<http://members.autobahn.mb.ca/~het/writing/scribbles.html#Water>
H.E. Taylor http://www.autobahn.mb.ca/~het/
 
Top