In the United Kingdom, Swansea Universitys School of Engineering has teamed up with Pure Wafer to develop a low-cost solar cell. A key feature is that the silicon used for fabricating the low-cost solar cell is recovered as a waste product from Pure Wafers main semiconductor wafer reclamation business.

Researchers at the university hope that the use of the recovered silicon will lead to significantly cheaper photovoltaic (PV) modules for the development of solar panels and renewable energy plants. The cells developed by Pure Wafer and the Swansea team have been incorporated into modules made up of around 90 connecting cells that can generate a larger amount of electricity. Researchers report that the first prototype cell achieved an efficiency of 14 per cent, but they are hoping to get closer to 20 per cent with their next attempt 5 per cent better than current commercial cells. Pure Wafer and Swanseas School of Engineering hope to increase the scope of their research and are currently in the process of applying for funding from the Welsh government.
Source: www.theengineer.co.uk

Researchers at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), the United States, report they have developed a process involving nanostructures that show great promise in boosting the efficiency of titania photoanodes employed to convert solar energy into hydrogen in fuel cells. The UALR team, working with researchers from the University of Nevada and supported by the United States Department of Energy and the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority (ASTA), has reported an 80 per cent increase in efficiency with a new process.

Electrochemical methods were used to synthesize titania photoanodes with nanotubular structures. The photoanode surfaces were then subjected to low-pressure nitrogen plasma to modify their surface properties. The plasma treatment increased the light absorption by the photoanode surface. It also removed surface impurities that are detrimental for photoelectrochemical hydrogen production. The plasma treatment significantly enhanced the photoelectrochemical activity of the samples, stated Dr. Rajesh Sharma, an assistant research professor at Applied Science in UALRs Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology (EIT). The photocurrent density of plasma-treated material was approximately 80 per cent higher than that of the control electrodes.
Source: www.sciencedaily.com

Sencera, the United States-based manufacturer of thin-film silicon- based photovoltaic modules, has developed single-junction silicon solar cells with an initial 8.7 per cent sunlight-to-electricity conversion efficiency under standard test conditions. Senceras solar device efficiency was achieved with process and hardware enhancements to its deposition technology platform.

Viper^TM is a proprietary, fully automated, plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition manufacturing platform. Recent innovations on the Viper have improved cell absorption of both blue and red light sections of the solar spectrum resulting in the conversion of more light to electricity. We intend to expand our present 1 MW research capacity to 35 MW annual capacity over the next two quarters, said Dr. Rusty Jewett, Senceras CEO. Contact: Sencera, 3101, Stafford Drive, Charlotte, NC 28208, United States of America. Tel: +1 (704) 3931 951; Fax: +1 (704) 3931 941; Website: www.sencera.com.
Source: www.sev.prnewswire.com

In the United States, Sanyo Energy Corp., has introduced HIT Power N series of solar panels featuring Sanyo Electrics proprietary technology. The new series features the latest technological improvements, including higher module output, lower voltage, space savings and lower installation costs that make the HIT Power N series the most efficient and competitive cost per kilowatt-hour panels in the solar market today, claims Sanyo.

HIT Power N series solar panels allow maximum power generation per square foot, reducing the number of panels needed. The improved technology also features a higher output range (205-215 W) and lower voltage which means up to 60 per cent more capacity per string and fewer parallel connections, cutting total installation costs. Each HIT Power N module contains 72 cells that are 5 5 inch (125 mm) compared with HIT Power B modules that contain 96 cells measuring 4 4 inch (104 mm). Further, HIT Power N series solar panels have silent operation and no moving parts, making them among the lightest per watt device in the industry. The packing density of the solar panels helps reduce transportation, fuel as well as storage costs per installed watt. Contact: Ms. Anna Lickova, Sanyo Energy Corp., 2600, Network Blvd., Suite 600, Frisco, Texas TX 75034, United States of America. Tel: +1 (469) 3625 600; Fax: +1 (469) 3625 699.
Source: www.renewableenergyworld.com

Researchers at Monash University, Australia, have developed a solar cell that is thin, flexible and can be mass produced using the same technology used to print polymer banknotes. The first of the trial polymer solar cells has rolled off the presses at the Melbourne-based plant of Securency International the company responsible for printing Australian polymer banknotes and the currencies for 26 countries around the world.

According to the team, the film-like solar cells are fabricated on a polymer substrate and are almost as thin as a sheet of paper. The printable cells offer a number of advantages over traditional solar panel technology. They are lightweight and easily transportable, making them attractive to a domestic market and also flexible like a banknote. Being partially transparent, they can be installed almost anywhere, including roofs of homes and cars, glass panels and windows. The cells also float, allowing them to cover pools or dams, reducing evaporation while generating energy.
Source: www.theengineer.co.uk

Researchers at Boston College, the United States, are reported to have developed a titanium nanostructure that provides an expanded surface area and greater efficiency in the transport of electrons. This achievement will help in the development of solar panels thick enough to absorb sunlight, yet thin enough to collect and transport electrons with minimal energy loss.

The scientists found that incorporating two titanium-based semiconductors into a nanoscale structure improved the efficiency of power-collecting efforts by approximately 33 per cent. Under ultraviolet light, the research team achieved a peak conversion efficiency of 16.7 per cent compared with an efficiency of 12 per cent from a structure composed only of titanium dioxide. The efficiency gains within the novel material can serve water splitting, wherein semiconductor catalysts have been shown to separate and store hydrogen and oxygen gases.
Source: www.upi.com

Fuji Electric Systems (FES), Japan, has developed a solar cell module that is only 1 mm thick and weighs 8 kg/m², which is just half that of conventional crystal silicon-based solar cell modules. The amorphous F Wave will be commercialized for use in large areas such as rooftops. While the module that uses a 0.8 mm steel plate as a basis is very flexible, its power generation efficiency is only 8 per cent (comparable silicon-based cells boast up to 16 per cent). The long-term aim of FES is to improve the efficiency to 12 per cent.
Source: www.crunchgear.com

Aora Solar, part of E.D.I.G. Group in Israel, has developed a small-scale hybrid solar thermal power plant. Both photovoltaic and regular solar thermal power require vast tracts of land to accommodate all the mirrors or heliostats they need. Aoras new model requires just half an acre of land to produce 100 kW, enough to power 50 homes. While that is not a great deal of electricity, there are several advantages to the new system, says Mr. Yuval Susskind, COO of Aora. It is modular, it is hybrid, it can run on alternative fuels and it offers all of those options in one base package.

What is the secret behind the new technology? Pairing a proprietary solar concentrator with a micro-gas turbine instead of a steam turbine. Conventional solar thermal power relies on heated water turning into steam, which is then used to power a turbine. However, steam turbines are only efficient when producing many megawatts, which also needs a great deal of land. Aora uses a micro-gas turbine that is effective at less than 1 MW and requires far fewer heliostats (30) to produce 100 kW. In addition to modularity, the gas turbine also allows for energy production round the clock. The breakthrough technology was developed jointly with the Weizmann Institute and Rotem Industries. The company hopes to have its first commercial base unit producing electricity sometime soon at Kibbutz Samar outside Eilat.
Source: www.jpost.com