Third generation solar cell

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Several new solar cell or photovoltaic technologies, have been proposed or discovered in recent years, due to extensive research and development with a focus on finding more efficient alternatives to traditional silicon based solar cells. Research and development in this area generally aims to provide higher efficiency and lower costs per watt of electricity generated. Some in the solar cell industry identify different "generations" of solar cell technology. The third generation is somewhat ambiguous in the technologies that it encompasses, though generally it tends to include, among others, non-semiconductor technologies (including polymer-based cells and biomimetics), quantum dot technologies, tandem/multi-junction cells, hot-carrier cells, upconversion technologies, and solar thermal technologies, such as thermophotonics, which is one technology identified by Martin Green as being third generation. [cite book
last = Green
first = Martin
title = Third Generation Photovoltaics: Advanced Solar Energy Conversion
publisher = Springer
year = 2003
isbn = 3540401377 ] Green includes in the "third generation" a range of novel alternatives to "first generation" (silicon p-n junction) and "second generation" (thin-film cell) devices, even and especially more advanced versions of the second generation thin-films. The main criterion Green gives is that the technology aims for extremely high efficiency, "double or triple the 15-20% range currently targeted." [Green, p. 1] The third generation is especially concerned with exceeding the Shockley-Queisser theoretical limit of around 31% for single-junction solar photovoltaic efficiency.

Reasons for change

Traditional solar cells have had several major drawbacks over the last thirty years. They are expensive, fragile, and are inefficient on several levels. A main hindrance has been that the key ingredient, refined silicon, has been becoming more expensive, which makes it difficult to reduce the cost of the solar cells. Silicon also has many physical barriers which limit the efficiency and uses of traditional solar cells. Nanotechnologists are finding solutions to make solar cheap, flexible, compact, light weight, and efficient. They are able to do this by finding alternative chemicals and materials to harness solar energy.

Expected market shift

There has been a lot of hype circling around the possibilities of advanced solar technology in recent years. Major companies and investors such as Google, have invested hundreds of millions of dollars towards this new generation of solar power. They are counting on the likely possibility that the new technologies could compete with not only traditional solar, but more importantly fossil fuels. This would revolutionize our energy market. In order for this to happen, third generation solar cells will need to be more efficient.

Future possibilities

The new materials that solar energy can be harnessed with is one of the most exciting elements of the new technology. The flexible and lightweight physical characteristics of the different types of third generation solar cells makes many new applications possible. There is the possibility that solar cells could be integrated into clothing which would allow us to have personal wireless power without batteries. Another plausible application could be a type of automobile paint that is blended with polymer solar cells. This could help maintain the lightweight form of a solar car while still providing ample energy to power it.

Types of third generation solar cells

While the new solar technologies that have been discovered center around nanotechnology, there are several different material methods currently used.

CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide)
*Nanosolar
*HondaNanocrystal solar cell
*Innovalight [http://www.innovalight.com/index.html] Polymer solar cell (absorbs infrared light)
*Sargent Group University of Toronto - Ted Sargent

See also

*Solar Cell
*Photovoltaics

References

*http://news.com.com/Silicon+vs.+CIGS+With+solar+energy,+the+issue+is+material/2100-1008_3-6121488.html
*http://optics.org/cws/article/research/23961
*http://light.utoronto.ca/tsargent/pdfs/article-nationalgeographic-14jan2005.pdf
*http://light.utoronto.ca/tsargent/pdfs/article-businessweek-31jan2005.pdf
*http://radio.cbc.ca/programs/quirks/media/2004-2005/mp3/qq-2005-01-29a.mp3
*http://world.honda.com/news/2005/c051219.html
*http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/solar_glossary.html

External links

*http://www.nanosolar.com
*http://www.konarka.com
*http://www.dyesol.com
*http://www.innovalight.com/
*http://light.utoronto.ca/tsargent/biography.html
*http://www.powur.com/web/index.php?p=home
*http://www.treehugger.com/