No doubt solar power is an attractive alternate energy option, but the cost of conventional photovoltaic systems has stopped it from becoming a viable technology. However, things are improving rapidly. Some solar energy companies have claimed to equal the cost for burning coal.
Further development in the field of solar technology continues. The use of organic molecules in photovoltaic systems is something that is thought to decrease production costs. It will also make the PV cells more flexible, which means they can be used for a variety of purposes like powering your cell phone, or lining your window shades. This technology is still in development and it currently has a conversion rate of 6 percent.
Work on increasing the efficiency of solar energy cells has led to the development of rigid silicon cells with efficiency of 15% efficient and much higher in multi-junction systems.
The important thing to consider while increasing solar power efficiency is to keep a balance between cost of production and efficiency and costs. The manufacturers believe that the use of organic solar technology will increase rapidly if the cells achieve an efficiency of 10% and are able to produce electricity for 10,000 hours.
The good thing about these materials is that their base layer is made up of a special type of ‘ink’, which can be used on flexible panels. But, hardening it properly is a problem. The ink is composed of a polymer that absorbs electrons and carbon molecules that gather electrons. In ideal conditions the carbon molecules should reach the top of the film and the polymers should reach the bottom, but controlling this is a problem when the ink hardens.
The solution to this problem was found by the application of X-ray absorption measurements to the film interfaces. It was noted that the polymer molecules were attracted and carbon molecules repulsed. This meant that the electrons were flowing in the right direction. The method could also improve the life span of photovoltaic systems.
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