A team of researchers from Lehigh University in the USA has created a new compound that promises to revolutionize the manufacture of solar panels and, in the process, help us meet our civilization's energy needs.
The scientists used a quantum material as the active layer in a prototype photovoltaic cell, which recorded an unprecedented increase in the absorption of light particles and their transformation into energy.
The results of the research were presented in an article published in the journal Science.
According to the International Energy Agency's Renewables 2023 report, solar energy recorded the fastest growth of all renewable technologies in 2022, overtaking wind energy in global energy production capacity for the first time in history.
In 2023, solar photovoltaic energy production saw a record increase of 270 TWh (up 26%), reaching almost 1,300 TWh, and these figures are expected to continue to rise in the future.
One of the keys to this growth has been the increased efficiency of photovoltaic cells in recent years. However, points out El Confidencial, current technology is still limited in the amount of energy it can capture.
The prototype solar panel created by researchers at the US university aims to break down these limits.
The new material can produce almost two units of electricity for every particle of sunlight (photon) it absorbs. This is about double what current photovoltaic systems produce.
"This work is a major leap forward in the development of sustainable energy solutions," says Chinedu Ekuma, professor of physics at Lehigh University and lead author of the study. "This innovative approach could redefine the efficiency and affordability of solar energy in the near future."
This property makes the material especially capable of absorbing light in the infrared and visible ranges of the light spectrum, allowing it to capture photonic energy that is normally lost in current solar cells through reflection and heat.
A quantum leap in efficiency
Traditional photovoltaic panels can generate and collect one electron of electricity for every photon they absorb, giving an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 100%.
However, tests carried out with the new material have shown that it can achieve an EQE of up to 190%, i.e. it can generate almost two electrons for every photon it absorbs.
In addition, commercial solar panels absorb around 30% of the energy they receive from the sun, while the new material, used as the active layer of a solar cell, recorded anaverage photovoltaic absorption of 80%.
Although the material is very promising, its creators acknowledge in their study that more research is needed before it can be used in existing solar energy systems. However, the techniques they used are already well known, so its potential is enormous.
"The fast response and higher efficiency clearly indicate the potential of this material for use in advanced photovoltaic applications," says Ekuma, in a statement published on EurekAlert.
"This is a promising candidate for the development of next-generation high-efficiency solar cells, which will play a crucial role in meeting the world's energy needs," concludes the researcher.
