UCF and Companions Goal Breakthrough in Photo voltaic Cell Effectivity
by Clarence Oxford
Orlando FL (SPX) Mar 19, 2024
The College of Central Florida, in collaboration with the College of Delaware’s Institute of Power Conversion, has launched into a cutting-edge challenge funded by a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Division of Power Photo voltaic Applied sciences Workplace. The initiative goals to revolutionize the metallization strategy of silicon photo voltaic cells, probably enhancing their effectivity and decreasing manufacturing prices, thus making photo voltaic vitality extra attainable for most of the people.
This groundbreaking metallization approach focuses on the event of steel contacts on silicon photo voltaic cells, essential for extracting electrical currents. Historically, silver has been the steel of selection for these contacts as a consequence of its glorious high-temperature resistance and non-oxidizing nature. Nonetheless, silver’s excessive value presents a big monetary hurdle.
Kristopher Davis, the lead researcher and affiliate professor of supplies science and engineering at UCF, highlights the financial and useful resource challenges of utilizing silver. “Silver represents a significant expense in photovoltaic cell manufacturing, projected to account for 20% of the worldwide annual silver provide by 2027,” Davis defined. The workforce proposes copper as a viable, less expensive various, regardless of its susceptibility to oxidation and its impression on conductivity.
To deal with this subject, the analysis workforce plans to make use of laser know-how to warmth copper nanoparticles, successfully minimizing oxidation dangers. Davis is optimistic in regards to the strategy, stating, “This methodology might considerably improve the effectivity of heterojunction photo voltaic cells whereas slashing manufacturing prices, probably fast-tracking photo voltaic vitality adoption by decreasing value boundaries for shoppers.”
The UCF analysis workforce, together with Aravinda Kar from CREOL, The School of Optics and Photonics, and Ranganathan Kumar from the Division of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, will work alongside Ujjwal Das and the workforce on the Institute of Power Conversion.
This challenge is a part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, being one in all 19 chosen initiatives funded to drive down prices and improve the effectivity of photo voltaic panel recycling processes beneath the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation.
Associated Hyperlinks
College of Central Florida
All About Photo voltaic Power at SolarDaily.com
