Duke researchers are building copper wire films at the nano-scale that would serve to lower the cost and sustain the performance of solar cells by replacing more expensive
materials. …
… “research shows that the copper nanowire films have the same properties as those currently used in electronic devices and solar cells, but are less expensive to manufacture.” …
Via Duke University: Copper Nanowires.
The nanomaterial graphene could benefit from continuing research into processes to apply it in production. The material has been found to fold, reducing its conductivity. Further research will help scientists better understand how to manage the efficiency. …
… “UB-led study suggests that companies hoping to incorporate graphene into such products as conductive inks, ultrafast transistors and solar panels could benefit from more basic research on the nanomaterial.” …
Via University of Buffalo: Graphene Conductivity.
Nanosys offers SiNANOde additive to address problems historically associated with using
silicon in lithium ion battery anodes. Yimin Zhu, director, battery & fuel cell, at Nanosys, explains that the additive deforms to fill void areas in the carbon anode material matrix and remains intact and fully functional after 100% DoD cycle testing. …
… “Nanosys’ architected materials increase the capacity of lithium ion batteries with its novel anode composite, maintaining standard coulombic efficiency, improving energy and power density, while providing the stability and safety of existing solutions.” …
Via Nanosys: Energy Storage Solutions.
Nanosys, Inc. is an advanced material architect, harnessing the fundamental properties of inorganic materials into process ready systems that can integrate into existing manufacturing to produce vastly superior products in lighting, electronic displays, and energy storage.
Lei Zhai, UCF associate professor, has been recognized for his research into the![zhai_HIGHRES[1]](http://greentechnolog.com/Windows-Live-Writer/6d05ffc635de_C014/zhai_HIGHRES%5B1%5D_2.jpg "zhai_HIGHRES[1]")
application of nanotechnology to the solar energy conversion process in polymer cells. …
… “This week he was selected for a Scialog Award, which includes a $100,000 prize to support his proposed solar energy conversion research.
Zhai is building nano-scale columns of conductive polymers to improve the efficiency of polymer solar cells.
Each Scialog proposal was subject to peer review and only those proposals seen as highly innovative and with the potential to transform the field of solar energy conversion were selected for awards.” …
Via University of Central Florida: Nanotech Solar Power.
Scialog Awards in solar conversion.
Scialog focuses on funding early career scientists and building research teams to undertake groundbreaking studies in solar energy conversion.
UCF research samples:
Lei Zhai’s research video library.
The Nanoscience Technology Center at UCF.
References on the use of polymers for solar applications:
Photovoltaic cells based on conductive polymers (PDF).
Photoelectrochemical Solar Energy Conversion Based on Conducting Polymers (PDF).
Boston College and MIT collaborate to research improvements to the conversion efficiency of solar thermal panels.
Nanotech materials and panel design techniques
combine to boost the electric power conversion significantly. …
… “The team’s introduced two innovations: a better light-absorbing surface through enhanced nanostructured thermoelectric materials, which was then placed within an energy-trapping, vacuum-sealed flat panel.
Combined, both measures added enhanced electricity-generating capacity to solar-thermal power technology …” …
Via Boston College: Solar Thermal Panels.
Boston College Professor of Physics Zhifeng Ren.
Research focus areas.
MIT scientists have found a novel way to use virus' to improve the efficiency of PV cells. The virus' " ... perform detailed assembly work at the microscopic level ... based on findings that carbon nanotubes ... can enhance the efficiency of ... solar cell's surface."
The virus' are used to " ... control the arrangement of the nanotubes ... so they can’t short out the circuits ..."
Improvements in power conversion efficiency are close to 1/3.
Via: MIT LINK
Stanford chemical engineering professor Stacey Bent is researching solar cell
designs using nano-scale organic materials that boost the power conversion efficiency. …
… “Bent's students tried several different organic molecules in an attempt to learn which ones would most increase the efficiency … But she found that the exact molecule didn't matter – just having a single organic layer less than a nanometer thick was enough to triple the efficiency of the solar cells.” …
Via Stanford University: Solar Cell Efficiency Research (Release).
through the research of professor Tonio Buonassisi where nanowire production is tightly controlled. These concepts are being proven in the lab prior to scale-up and
commercialization. …
… “The spacing of the wires is controlled by textures created on the surface — tiny dimples can form centers for the copper droplets — but the size of the wires is controlled by the temperatures used for the diffusion stage of the process. Thus, unlike in other production methods, the size and spacing of the wires can be controlled independently of each other, Buonassisi says.” …
Via MIT: Micro Wires.
UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz researchers will deploy nanotechnology for solar cell construction, hoping to demonstrate sustained efficiency gains. …
… “But by constructing solar cells from extremely small nanoparticles, the UC researchers aim to generate several electrons for each photon, raising the maximum efficiency to between 42 and 65 percent.
The one-photon-in/multiple-electrons-out paradigm has been demonstrated at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Zimanyi said — but the Los Alamos group did not build a functioning solar cell based on this paradigm.
The UC Davis/UC Santa Cruz team includes scientists with experience making solar cells from nanoparticles, giving hope that the group will be able to construct a fully functioning and well-optimized solar cell from germanium and silicon nanoparticles, he said.” …
Via University of California, Davis: Solar Cell Project Funding, Press Release.
UCLA researchers develop efficient and effective method for creating thin film conductive polymers that could improve solar power applications.
… “A team of UCLA chemists and engineers has developed a new method for coating large surfaces with nanofiber thin films that are both transparent and electrically conductive.
Their method involves the vigorous agitation of water, dense oil and polymer nanofibers. After this solution is sufficiently agitated it spreads over virtually any surface, creating a film. “ …
Via UCLA: Polymer thin films that conduct electricity.
Carbon nanotubes in antenna form are used to concentrate the sun’s energy more efficiently than a solar panel. …
… “MIT chemical engineers have found a way to concentrate solar energy 100 times more than a regular photovoltaic cell. ” …
Via MIT: Solar Funnel.
Boston College researchers work on the nano scale to address the challenges of thin film solar cells and energy conversion efficiency. The approach taken in this research on nanocoax cell architecture is to avoid the use of crystalline materials, which will result in lower-cost power with ultrathin solar films. The team has achieved power conversion efficiency of over 8 percent, which is very encouraging. …
… “Physicists at Boston College found a way to resolve the thick & thin challenge through a nanoscale solar architecture based on the coaxial cable, a radio technology concept that dates back to the first trans-Atlantic communications lines laid in the mid 1800s. ” …
Via Boston College: Nanoscale Architecture (Link).
... "Jung-Kun Lee intends to produce advanced versions of the technology used in solar panels and flat-panel displays, aiming for more efficient solar-power cells and optoelectronic devices. His $400,000 project will focus on the next generation of transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) - the essential technology in solar panels and flat panel displays - that would allow for increased control and energy harvesting of light. Lee will look at molding metallic nanoparticles into novel nanocomposites-materials with multiple nanoscale dimensions that would increase the concentration of electron carriers without sacrificing their mobility. This will lead to more efficient transport of electricity. " ...Via University of Pittsburgh: Emerging Research in Sustainable Technology
... "Using zinc oxide nanostructures grown on optical fibers and coated with dye-sensitized solar cell materials, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new type of three-dimensional photovoltaic system. The approach could allow PV systems to be hidden from view and located away from traditional locations such as rooftops. " ...Via Georgia Tech: Nanostructures on Optical Fiber
... "Honda researchers discovered they could control whether the carbon nanotubes become metallic or semiconducting by using either argon or helium as carrier gases during the process. Researchers at UofL used the technique to make large quantities of nanotubes and precisely measure whether they were metallic or semiconducting. Purdue researchers took high-resolution images with a transmission electron microscope to help determine why the process worked. Lead UofL researcher Gamini Sumanasekera, an associate professor of physics, said he hoped the findings will renew interest in the field. " ...Via University of Louisville: Solar cell efficiency potential through nanotech research
... "Rather than silicon, the inks developed by Korgel's team are made up of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) — sunlight-absorbing nanoparticles that are 10,000 times thinner than a strand of hair. " ...Via Live Science: Spray-On Solar Cells
... "Demonstrating patterning over larger areas is a key goal for future work, Bao said. The team also hopes to study whether the technique could allow for more cost-effective fabrication of devices such as solar cell panels that use inorganic and organic micro- or nanowires. " ...Via Stanford University: Stanford, Samsung engineers make flexible electronics
Cell phones that can convert the sound of your voice into energy to run the phone may be coming ... Research at Texas A&M by Tahir Cagin is getting closer to self powered devices like cell phones "... converts sound waves ... into the energy it needs to keep running. ...Utilizing ..."piezoelectrics," ... a certain type of piezoelectric material can covert energy at a 100 percent increase when manufactured at a very small size – in this case, around 21 nanometers in thickness.
" ... piezoelectrics are materials (usually crystals or ceramics) that generate voltage when a form of mechanical stress is applied. "
Via: Texas A&M Chemical Engineering LINK
Nanotechnology-derived antireflective coating is used to increase the absorption of sunlight by solar panels. ...
... "An untreated silicon solar cell only absorbs 67.4 percent of sunlight shone upon it - meaning that nearly one-third of that sunlight is reflected away and thus unharvestable. From an economic and efficiency perspective, this unharvested light is wasted potential and a major barrier hampering the proliferation and widespread adoption of solar power. After a silicon surface was treated with Lin’s new nanoengineered reflective coating, however, the material absorbed 96.21 percent of sunlight shone upon it - meaning that only 3.79 percent of the sunlight was reflected and unharvested. " ...Via RPI: Solar Power Near Perfect Absorption
Solar panels are becoming more common; almost mainstream.
What is now needed is a way to boost the efficiency or redue the manufacturing cost.
"Nanosolar is a global leader in solar power innovation. ... setting the standard for affordable green power with solar cell technology of distinctly superior cost efficiency, versatility, and availability."
"Leveraging ... nanostructured materials, we have developed a critical mass of engineering advances that profoundly change the cost efficiency and production scalability of solar electricity cells and panels."
Via: Nanosolar.com Link