Solar panel efficiency
Developing solar panel efficiency requires a precise tweaking of
material, lighting conditions and other variables. With efficiency,
the same amount of energy can be produced by a smaller array of
solar panels.
The most efficient solar panels so far are based on single
crystalline silicon cells. Some of the conceptual breakthroughs, in
such areas as nanotechnology, coatings and manufacturing, promise to
make solar panels more than twice as efficient as existing methods
and potentially cost competitive with oil.
Stanford University engineers, for example, are trying to combine
the sun’s light and heat to generate electricity that would double
the efficiency of existing solar technology. The new process
succeeds at higher temperatures where current technology typically
becomes less efficient. Plus, the materials used in the process are
cheap and easily accessible, making the generated power affordable.
Stanford researchers also are among those experimenting with
semiconductor nanocrystals or quantum dots, which can reach much
higher efficiency than traditional solar cells.
In the Netherlands, Eindhoven University of Technology is using
nanotechnology and a mirror system that concentrates sunlight to
improve efficiency and cut costs. The researchers expect their nano
solar cells to become more than 65 percent efficient within 10
years.
At this point, the majority of top manufacturers are from China and
Taiwan, according to Solarbuzz, a global market research company
focusing on solar energy. Chinese manufacturers account for more
than half of global solar cell production, Solarbuzz reports.
Solar panel efficiency worldwide certainly has come a long way since
the energy crisis of the 1970s, when finding an alternative power
source was a prime global concern like it is today. The industry
experienced a slow, steady growth until the mid ‘80s when solar tax
credits expired. The green movement of the past 10 years, coupled
with unstable oil prices, fueled the resurgence in solar energy’s
appeal.
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