Nanomaterials that Split Sunlight Into Separate Colors Could Bring Solar Panels to 50% Efficiency

                

 I chose to use this article that I used in my energy sciences class about solar panels and an innovative way to possibly increase the efficiency related to solar power. Most current panels are about 20% efficient at turning photons of light energy into electrical energy, yet some more advanced designs can be up towards 45%. 

A normal solar cell absorbs photons in order to generate an electron which will rise to the surface of the panel and then be transported out as useful energy. Inefficiencies arise because these photons have different wavelengths, or intensities, and penetrate variable distances into the panel. Because of this, not every photon successfully generates an electron to be used as energy. Some electrons are generated, but immediately recombine within the cell

For these proposed panels the basic idea is to use nanostructured material to divide the incoming solar radiation into its constituents and have precisely tuned solar cells which are most efficient at absorbing specific wavelengths of light. This allows for higher levels of conversion efficiency. So an array of solar cells could be absorbing photons of differing wavelengths, each cell absorbing the wavelength it has been tuned to be most efficient at. Obviously with the cells tuned to specific wavelengths, it is more likely that incoming photons will successfully generate electrons and efficiency will increase.

 
Original Article: http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/nanomaterials-split-sunlight-separate-colors-could-bring-solar-panels-50-efficiency.html