Lightweight, flexible solar cells
22 February, 2016A patented breakthrough by researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology claims to improve the efficiency of organic photovoltaic cells by 50%.
Glass optimises graphene's electronic properties
15 February, 2016Scientists have developed a new method for creating resilient, customised and high-performing graphene: layering it on top of common glass.
New technology makes metal wires on solar cells nearly invisible to light
04 December, 2015 by Mark Shwartz, Precourt Institute for Energy at Stanford UniversityNew technology developed by Stanford researchers could lead to a new paradigm in the design and fabrication of solar cells.
Converting the sun's heat and light into electricity
10 September, 2015South Korean scientists have developed a hybrid solar energy system that harnesses the full spectrum of the sun's radiation.
Charging lithium-ion batteries with solar cells
31 August, 2015Most solar cells fail to meet the power requirements needed to directly charge lithium-ion batteries used in today's all-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
Microscopic rake doubles solar cell efficiency
17 August, 2015A new manufacturing technique could double the electricity output of inexpensive solar cells by using a microscopic rake when applying light-harvesting polymers.
Sticky tape for ultrathin LEDs and solar cells
21 July, 2015Australian National University scientists studying thin layers of phosphorus have found surprising properties that could open the door to ultrathin and ultralight solar cells and LEDs.
Solar cell that produces fuel rather than electricity
20 July, 2015Researchers have used gallium phosphide to develop a solar cell that produces the clean fuel hydrogen gas from liquid water.
Spaghetti, meatballs and solar cell storage
22 June, 2015UCLA researchers have developed a new technology that is capable of storing solar energy for up to several weeks — an advance that could change the way scientists think about designing solar cells.
Researchers pinpoint defects in perovskites
04 May, 2015 by Renee Gastineau, Clean Energy InstituteUniversity of Washington and University of Oxford researchers have discovered that perovskite materials, generally believed to be uniform in composition, actually contain flaws that can be engineered to improve solar devices even further.
Why 'baking powder' triples efficiency of plastic solar cells
10 February, 2015 by René JanssenPlastic solar cells use polymers instead of silicon to convert the energy from sunlight into electricity.
UNSW's solar cell achieves 40% efficiency
08 December, 2014UNSW's solar researchers have converted over 40% of the sunlight hitting a solar system into electricity, the highest efficiency ever reported.
First Solar claims 21% efficiency for thin-film PV cell
08 August, 2014First Solar claims to have achieved 21% efficiency for its cadmium-telluride (CdTe) PV research cell, as certified by the Newport Corporation's Technology and Applications Center (TAC) PV Lab.
Lead-free perovskite solar cells
02 May, 2014Latest findings by University of Oxford researchers reveal that the lead in perovskite solar cells can be replaced with tin.
Unlocking secrets of new solar material
24 April, 2014Researchers at the US Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are analysing a new solar material that has the same crystal structure as a mineral first found in the Ural Mountains in 1839. The material, perovskite, is extremely efficient.
