Hybrid Solar Cell Makes Electricity From Light And Heat More Efficiently

If we can learn to harness all of it, the sun puts out all the power we could possibly need here on Earth. The problem is that current solar panels aren't very efficient and are able to produce only small amounts of electricity typically. Scientists have now created a new type of hybrid solar-energy system that is able to harness the full spectrum of the sun's radiation much more efficiently than similar solar panels.

That means that not only can the hybrid solar cell create electricity from light emitted by the sun, it can also convert the heat produced by the sun into electricity as well. The new hybrid solar panel system produces voltage five times higher than other hybrid solar systems.

To make the new hybrid solar panels, researchers used a polymer known as PEDOT. The team layered a dye-sensitized solar cell on top of PEDOT film, which heats up in response to light. Underneath the PEDOT layer, the scientists added a pyroelectric thin film and a thermoelectric device that are capable of converting heat into electricity.

The efficiency of all the components working together is 20% higher than the solar cell alone. That added efficiency is enough to operate an LED lamp and an eletrochroic display. The hybrid solar panel that the team has produced creates five times more voltage than other hybrid systems.

SOURCE: Phys.org