NREL Solar Cell Sets World Efficiency Record at 40.8 Percent

[Joanne98]

(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have set a world record in solar cell efficiency with a photovoltaic device that converts 40.8 percent of the light that hits it into electricity. This is the highest confirmed efficiency of any photovoltaic device to date.

http://www.physorg.com/news137862843.html

[Oerdin]

1. Neat but....

It's neat and interesting science but really it was a very short test and the cells used "gallium indium phosphide" which is a very complicated blend using two EXTREMELY rare earth elements. Don't look for this in stores any time soon or ever.

[skids]

2. It's a concentrator cell...

...it doesn't matter how much it costs within reason, because it works at several hundred suns worth of light.

So instead of buying a huge 2 meter square panel you buy a one centimeter square cell and use lenses and mirrors to put more wattage on it.

The world record holder for CPV cells that are shipping in quantity I think is still EMCORE. I once calculated the price per watt out to be $0.75 per peak watt, way below non-concentrating panels and below the vaunted dollar-per-watt goal the solar industry has set. It's the cost of the mirrors/lenses/trackers/cooling and the fact that it needs direct light and won't put out much at all when it is overcast (so you get less capacity factor) that keeps these from busting through the floor compared to non-concentrated panels, not the ingredients of the cells.

[OKIsItJustMe]

3. More here…

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=167709&mesg_id=167709