Researchers have developed a new type of solar panel that uses single-walled carbon nanotubes as both front and back electrodes.
The nanotubes used in the panels are incredibly small, just 2.2 nanometers across, which is thinner than a strand of human DNA. In fact, 45,000 nanotubes stacked on top of each other are thicker than a piece of paper.
The journal Nature Communications has published a study conducted by a team of scientists from the University of Surrey, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xidian University, and Zhengzhou University in China.
Dr. Jing Zhang, a research fellow at Surrey’s Advanced Technology Institute, stated that their bifacial cells can collect sunlight from both front and back panels, resulting in increased energy production that is less dependent on the angle of the light.
«The carbon nanotubes we use are highly transparent and conduct electricity well. They have the potential to provide clean power to millions of people. We are excited to see how our invention will be utilized.»
The panels can generate over 36 mW per square centimeter. Additionally, the back panel produced almost 97% of the power that the front panel did, which is higher than the 75%–95% range of most bifacial panels currently available on the market.
According to Professor Ravi Silva CBE, director of the Advanced Technology Institute, solar power is essential for decarbonisation. However, current solar energy is too expensive. To make the technology more cost-effective, panels that can absorb the sun’s energy on both sides are a great solution.
The team has produced the highest efficiency single junction solar cell to date. Their panels cost 70% less to make than a normal one-sided solar panel. This statement could significantly alter the market and simplify the necessary architectures for perovskite solar cells.
