For the third time in one month, we announce a solar breakthrough. This time
Researchers at Wake Forests have achieved record levels of efficiency by creating “nano-filaments” in the plastic, similar to tree leave veins. This seems to lead to higher light capture levels.
The greatest efficiency levels were thus far at only 3%. This new breakthrough more or less doubles that figure, and even better efficiency rates are expected in the coming years. Some analysts expect this technology to be commercially viable as soon as the 8% rate is hit.
The greatest advantage of this news is the fact that plastic cells are becoming cheaper and cheaper. Although they may eventually occupy a greater area for the same power, their cost is substantially below silicon or thin layer cells. Plastic cells are also lighter.
Some of them, made up of organic plastic, are so flexible that they can even be wrapped around other surfaces or even painted on walls. So we should not be surprised to see cheaper and larger solar arrays in the future. We should not be surprised to see this arrays perfectly integrated in buildings either.
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