Eco Factor: Energy-efficient solar cells capture more light without the use of sun trackers.
The amount of energy produced by a solar cell depends on the amount of incident sunlight. Since the position of the sun changes in the sky, manufacturers have developed sun tracking mirrors that can continuously focus sunlight onto photovoltaic panels, enabling them to produce more energy.
Researchers at the University of Illinois are working on a completely different technology. Instead of using parabolic mirrors to focus sunlight onto flatbed solar panels, the research team is developing self-assembling spherical solar cells.
The development of these solar cells starts with flat sheets as conventional cells, but their underlying 3D structure allows them to self-assemble into a sphere. These sheets are made up of thin, high-quality silicon wafer that’s treated with conventional lithography.
Sheets are initially cut in the form of flower petals taped with a piece of glass on the inside. When water is dropped into the flower-like structure, the surface tension by evaporation pulls the structure to form a sphere. Presently the prototype developed by the research team has a mere 1% efficiency rating. However, the team is confident that subsequent prototypes will be much better and could lead to more efficient solar cells.
Via: Technology Review
