Inexpensive Highly Efficient Solar Cells Possible

Inexpensive Highly Efficient Solar Cells Possible

ScienceDaily (Apr. 12, 2010) — Thanks to two technologies developed by Professor Benoît Marsan and his team at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Chemistry Department, the scientific and commercial future of solar cells could be totally transformed. Professor Marsan has come up with solutions for two problems that, for the last twenty years, have been hampering the development of efficient and affordable solar cells.

His findings have been published in two scientific journals, the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) and Nature Chemistry.

The untapped potential of solar energy

The Earth receives more solar energy in one hour than the entire planet currently consumes in a year. Unfortunately, despite this enormous potential, solar energy is barely exploited. The electricity produced by conventional solar cells, composed of semiconductor materials like silicon, is 5 or 6 times more expensive than from traditional energy sources, such as fossil fuels or hydropower. Over the years, numerous research teams have attempted to develop a solar cell that would be both efficient in terms of energy and inexpensive to produce.

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Professor Marsan's solutions

Professor Marsan and his team have been working for several years on the design of an electrochemical solar cell. His work has involved novel technologies, for which he has received numerous patents. In considering the problems of the cell developed by his Swiss colleague, Professor Marsan realized that two of the technologies developed for the electrochemical cell could also be applied to the Graetzel solar cell, specifically:

* For the electrolyte, entirely new molecules have been created in the laboratory whose concentration has been increased through the contribution of Professor Livain Breau, also of the Chemistry Department. The resulting liquid or gel is transparent and non-corrosive and can increase the photovoltage, thus improving the cell's output and stability.

* For the cathode, the platinum can be replaced by cobalt sulphide, which is far less expensive. It is also more efficient, more stable and easier to produce in the laboratory.


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100406125545.htm

OK, I'll bite! Somebody, ANYBODY, put them on the market and let's make the "dream" a reality already!
Bill Gates, Warren Buffet (sp?), GE, anybody! Get them up and running and for sale. NOW. That is all.

However, the price of thin film is finally coming down. But yeah, it's always three to five years for these improvements, then never seems to make it to market.

http://www.nature.com/nchem/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nchem.610.html identifies the electrolyte as a thiolate/disulfide couple, but nothing more specific.