As the country continues to embrace the benefits of solar energy, both private homes and businesses alike, more and more attention is being paid into the research and development of newer solar technology. There are more businesses investing in solar technology, which is lowering the overall costs of production, as well as allowing solar energy to be more affordable to consumers. Various companies and institutions are also investing into research that improves the function and effectiveness of solar cells. One such example comes from researchers from North Carolina State University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
These researchers have recently discovered a simple and functional way to increase the efficiency of solar cells by more than 30 percent. Researchers created a new polymer called PBT-OP, which was made from two commercially available monomers and one easily synthesized monomer. PBT-OP shows a more open circuit voltage, which is the voltage available within a solar cell. NC State physicist Harald Ade said “In this case, we have found a chemically easy way to change the electronic structure and enhance device efficiency by capturing a lager fraction of the light’s energy, without changing the material’s ability to absorb, create and transport energy.”
What does this mean ultimately for the average consumer of solar energy? Ultimately, it means that the industry is only years away from improving what is already a phenomenal green technology. Living in San Francisco, solar power is always a fantastic investment given how many days out of the year that the sun is present. When considering installing a solar energy system for your home or business, Sun First! has the experience for everything from project planning through activation of the system. Solar energy is a wonderful investment, and can provide decades of clean, efficient and free energy.