Develop flexible solar cells that can bend, that’s why it can be very important for photovoltaics, the details
Flexible silicon solar cells that can bend, maintaining 96.03% of the energy conversion efficiency after twenty minutes of simulated exposure to the wind: to develop them, Chinese, German and Saudi researchers.
Photovoltaic and flexible solar cells, keep an eye on what’s new – information today.it
The solar cells in question resist temperature changes, with the loss of only 0.38% of efficiency following the oscillation between -70°C and 85°C for 2 hours.
Researchers smoothed out the crack-triggering interfaces on silicon wafers, creating a microscopic network of cracks that allows fold the cells.
The use of the treated wafers is linked to the production of hetero-junction solar cells. The relative power conversion efficiency is up to 23.4%, and an anti-reflection coating increases the efficiency to 24.6%.
These are cells suitable for the integrated photovoltaic inside buildings and cars, an important development for the future of solar technology.
The efficiency of conversion into electricity of the classic silicon-based solar cells is well known, occupying 95% of the market. However, the aspects of rigidity and fragility have constituted a limitation for the application on corrugated or flexible surfaces.
Alternatively, solutions such as thin-film solar cells made with materials such as amorphous silicon have established themselves. Unfortunately, these solutions often have a low power conversion efficiency, or even chemical instability.
Photovoltaics, the potential future development of flexible solar cells
A group of researchers led by Wenzhu Liu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has tried the development of flexible, yet efficient silicon solar cells.
Photovoltaics and foldable solar cells, an ingenious solution – information today
They understood that textured crystalline silicon wafers are prone to cracking at certain cutting edge interfaces made up of pyramidal elements at their edges.
Using chemical and plasma etching, in order to smooth out such crack-generating interfaces, they managed to create a microscopic network of cracks inside the wafers. Therefore, the latter have become flexible.
There are various advantages of flexible solar cells. First of all, they have a high energy conversion efficiency, and are also resistant to vibrations and repeated bending. As well as to extreme temperature fluctuations.
An ideal solution compared to large-scale, lightweight, flexible solar modules that can be integrated into buildings and cars.
This solution opens new doors to the use of solar energy, col photovoltaic integrated inside the buildings which will benefit from it, since they can be installed on top curved surfaces or integrated into building materials.
Windows, facades, or even awnings, umbrellas and so on. At the same time, advantages can also be linked to photovoltaic integrated in cars, with cars that could generate electricity from sunlight, thereby reducing reliance on fossil fuels.