Graphene Vs Silicon Solar Panels

In addition graphene has a low.

Graphene vs silicon solar panels.

Transparent graphene electrodes could replace indium tin oxide in solar cells in the future making them cheaper and more efficient. For those of you new to the topic graphene is a two dimensional material with unique and powerful electronic properties. The ability to use graphene instead is making possible truly flexible low cost transparent solar cells that can turn virtually any surface into a source of electric power. Laws of physics limit the maximum efficiency of silicon solar cells to 32.

Nanotech says that their graphene panel reaches a 92 efficiency compared to around 20 for large commercial silicon based pv panels and the cost per watt of their panel will be 0 55 cents compared to a us average of 3 26 for silicon pv panels. The traditional silicon solar cells are more efficient as 14 watts of power will be generated from 1000 watts of sunlight where as only 1 3 watts of power can be generated from a graphene opv cell. Studies have shown that doped graphene can change one absorbed photon of a few electrons which in practice means an increase in efficiency of solar panels. Scientists have developed a new process to produce the required carbon films of the required thickness and quality.

Graphene based tandem solar cells almost double the efficiency of pure silicon. For that reason scientists have spent. But these opv cells more than compensate by having more advantages like physical flexibility and costing less. Solar cells made with graphene could offer 60 solar cell efficiency.

Although there is a slight reduction in power conversion efficiencies 16 4 with the graphene armor versus 17 5 without this is marginal next to the advantages the coating brings. Though the application of graphene in solar cells is only theoretical the potential outlined in the study is remarkable.