The scientists of the University of Manchester, Great Britain, managed to find the causes of the phenomenon of the “light degradation” of the solar panels —and find the ways to solve this problem. It bothers power engineers for about 40 years-loss of batteries efficiency due to this effect account for only 2 % of the device, but on a planet’s scale this is equivalent to the production of several nuclear power plants. Green energy on the march and solving this problem is of fundamental importance.
Light degradation in a broad sense is understood to reduce the production of electricity on the solar panels after they find themselves in the work in real conditions, that is, under the light of our star. The problem of the problem is hidden in the changeable structure of silicon from which the main components of the panels are made. It was required to conduct almost 300 large -scale studies to understand what exactly in it is not so.
The British applied the technology of transition spectroscopy of a deep level and found that when heated in silicon, a kind of “trap” forms – zones with special properties. Electrons with a low life of life do not have time to leave them, which leads to a weakening of the general flow. And, on the contrary, in high -quality silicon panels, particles with a charge manage to get out of the traps, so such batteries show great efficiency.
Scientists from Manchester managed to prove that the effect manifests itself only when silicon is heated and, probably, it is under the influence of sunlight. Because experiments with heating panels in the dark showed – traps are eliminated, and the effect of degradation can be wrapped up. But this is the topic of a new study, not a finished methodology. However, the energy sector is happy and such a result —After all, if the cause of the problem is known, it remains only to choose the right engineering solution.
Source — Journal of Applied Physics