New Solar Technology

[Boon_Docker]

Interesting link.

[ktmrfs]

Silcon has a big mfg advantage today. The technology to make 300mm or bigger silicon wafers is very very mainstream, along with the processing. Helps keep the mfg cost under control. GaAs processing is much more complex and more specialized applications.

For us RV'rs efficiency is important because of size constraints. For more typical fixed applications, I suspect efficiency (size) isn't as big a driver as is cost, reliability and resistance to damage.

If Silicon based systems cost can continue to be driven down rapidly it may likely win over higher efficiency solutions for typical mainstream applications.

[westend]

Typical module efficiency using conventional silicone/cadmium telluride-copper indium junction is being increased by connective construction and location of connectors. If you place smaller wires between cells and connect at non-interfering locations, the module efficiency can increase maybe 5% for usual module real estate.
It seems to me that current production tooling with better construction can yield better module efficiencies than a change in the junction materials. Of course, this is short term thinking but development of solar power is a sloooow process, anyway. The good news is that US solar power use has increased 110%/yr if conventional media can be trusted for those numbers.

[jharrell]

Gallium Arsenide cells are already decades old a proven technology producing double the efficiency of silicon based cells. Downside is cost. Many spacecraft and satellites use them as cost is no object, but efficiency is paramount.

Seems to me this would be the best place to focus R&D on simply making GaAs multi-junction cells cheaper. These things are hitting close to 50% efficiency under focused light and in the 30's under one sun.

[ktmrfs]

the downside not mentioned was how sensistive they are to any moisture which causes degredation. and cell size, which currently is around an inch vs Silicon.

Probably issues that either will be or are solvable. Still the efficiency is almost double that of a typical consumer solar array.

[Searching_Ut]

Seems I first saw articles on this type solar cell 5 or so years ago. Have they worked out the problems with the cells degrading rapidly yet? I remember doing a science fair project on solar cells back in the 70's, and all of the promising technologies out there. Seems since then they've only made incremental improvements, and even more unfortunately, batteries likewise have only improved slowly. It would be nice to see a major breakthrough in both of these areas, especially batteries. Solar you can just use more space to get around the efficiency issue, batteries there just isn't a good option yet to really allow for effective storage of energy on a large scale, with a reasonable life expectancy.

[Dutch_12078]

The technology does look promising. Thanks for the link!