<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/australian-researchers-race-to-smash-the-solar-efficiency-ceiling-using-singlet-fission/>
"A team of Australian researchers from the University of New South Wales is
racing another tam from MIT in the US to boost the efficiency limits of silicon
solar cells using quantum mechanics.
Silicon solar cell efficiency – the fraction of energy supplied by the sun that
can be converted into electricity – is theoretically limited to an “absolute
limit” of 29.4 per cent, according to Ned Ekins-Daukes from UNSW’s School of
Photovoltaics & Renewable Energy Engineering.
In the real world, the highest efficiency was set earlier this year by China
solar giant LONGi, which demonstrated a 27.3 per cent efficient silicon solar
cell.
Attempts to crack the silicon ceiling have spanned from trying to stablise
perovskites to just adding another side with bifacial panels. Another potential
solution – and one being pursued by a multi-disciplinary team from the UNSW –
is singlet fission.
The idea is that ordinary silicon panels can get more bang for their buck by
splitting light energy into two, so there’s more for a silicon panel to absorb
and less energy is wasted as heat.
“The basic effects of the process is that light can be absorbed in this
material and then be split into two separate energy packets. If you do that,
you can use high energy light more efficiently in a solar cell,” says lead
researcher Professor Timothy Schmidt from UNSW Sydney’s School of Chemistry.
“We’re confident we can get silicon solar cells to an efficiency above 30 per
cent.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
