Currently, solar panels are either organic or silicon. Organic has flexibility and transparency, and in silicon panels, although more effective, these properties are absent. The team of researchers of the Massachusetts Technological Institute set itself the task of developing solar panels, which would be both flexible and transparent, and, at the same time, quite effective.
To do this, they chose graphene – a material, which is a two -dimensional allotropic modification of carbon, a layer of atoms of which has a thickness of only one atom. Thanks to this, he perfectly conducts electricity. However, it was still necessary to solve the problem of how to glue the electrodes directly to the substrate. If the attachment of graphene is carried out by gluing or heating, it can be damaged, which will lead to a decrease in conductivity.
Scientists of MIT have found an original solution: they developed a methodology that allows you to fix the graphene, spraying Acetate on its upper layer, which gives the same effect as the layer of glue. So the problem with the electrodes was solved. According to Yi Songga, one of the developers of the project, in this case, both the upper and lower electrodes will be able to fully execute the functions of the electron flow.
When they received the first sample of the new solar element, tests were carried out to compare its effectiveness with the materials that are usually used in the solar panels: aluminum, India Oxide, standard materials on various substrates, glass (stiff) and flexible). Testing showed that the effectiveness of the transformation was 4.1%. True, this result is worse than modern panels demonstrate, but it exceeds the effectiveness of transparent panels.
According to researchers, solar panels with graphene are capable of without losing transparency, to become more effective by 10%, but if this value is exceeded, transparency will fall. What is the cost of a potential solar panel of new material and its durability with wear resistance is not specified.
Source: Newatlas.com
Currently, solar panels are either organic or silicon. Organic has flexibility and transparency, and in silicon panels, although more effective, these properties are absent. The team of researchers of the Massachusetts Technological Institute set itself the task of developing solar panels, which would be both flexible and transparent, and, at the same time, quite effective.
To do this, they chose graphene – a material, which is a two -dimensional allotropic modification of carbon, a layer of atoms of which has a thickness of only one atom. Thanks to this, he perfectly conducts electricity. However, it was still necessary to solve the problem of how to glue the electrodes directly to the substrate. If the attachment of graphene is carried out by gluing or heating, it can be damaged, which will lead to a decrease in conductivity.
Scientists of MIT have found an original solution: they developed a methodology that allows you to fix the graphene, spraying Acetate on its upper layer, which gives the same effect as the layer of glue. So the problem with the electrodes was solved. According to Yi Songga, one of the developers of the project, in this case, both the upper and lower electrodes will be able to fully execute the functions of the electron flow.
When they received the first sample of the new solar element, tests were carried out to compare its effectiveness with the materials that are usually used in the solar panels: aluminum, India Oxide, standard materials on various substrates, glass (stiff) and flexible). Testing showed that the effectiveness of the transformation was 4.1%. True, this result is worse than modern panels demonstrate, but it exceeds the effectiveness of transparent panels.
According to researchers, solar panels with graphene are capable of without losing transparency, to become more effective by 10%, but if this value is exceeded, transparency will fall. What is the cost of a potential solar panel of new material and its durability with wear resistance is not specified.
Source: Newatlas.com