New Solar Panel Design Could Help the Technology Surpass Its Theoretical Limit
Solar energy is booming, with more panels installed every year, fueling a race to the bottom on pricing. But efficiency could also be on the rise, making solar panels even more cost-effective. A new technique that reduces light reflection from those same panels could dramatically boost efficiency without requiring a bigger footprint.
The Shockley-Queisser limit has long been the theoretical limit of solar panel efficiency. It suggests that solar energy production with photovoltaic cells would be limited to a maximum efficiency of 33.7%. Techniques that layer panels and use alternative materials have pushed this limit higher, but most consumer panels still have limited capacity to convert light into usable energy.
Plugin/Balcony solar interest is skyrocketing. Advanced solar cells could make it even more popular.Credit: mageBROKER/Robert Poorten via Getty Images
Researchers at the Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO) in France have found a new wayto boost efficiency by redesigning the...
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