Tiger new material uses solar energy to generate electricity

Could more solar energy be used to build more solar farms?

If more solar energy can be generated in this way, we can foresee less need in the longer term to use silicon panels or build more and more solar farms’ Dr Wang added. The researchers are among 40 scientists working on photovoltaics led by Professor of Renewable Energy Henry Snaith at Oxford University Physics Department.

How do tandem solar cells work?

In a typical tandem device, the perovskite cell is positioned above the silicon cell; each cell is made of multiple layers that all play a part in turning light into electricity (see ‘Anatomy of a tandem solar cell’). Sunlight hits the perovskite first and releases electrons from the material, leaving behind positively charged ‘holes’.

Can solar energy make industries independent of fossil fuels?

Researchers at ETH Zurich have now demonstrated, in the lab, a way to make these industries independent of fossil fuels. Using solar radiation, they have engineered a device that can deliver heat at the high temperatures needed for the production processes.

How do solar cells work?

Using a pioneering technique developed in Oxford, which stacks multiple light-absorbing layers into one solar cell, they have harnessed a wider range of the light spectrum, allowing more power to be generated from the same amount of sunlight.

Are 'tandem' photovoltaics a good idea?

Babics, M. et al. Cell Rep. Phys. Sci. 4, 101280 (2023). Wan, J. et al. Solar Energy 226, 85–91 (2021). Jean, J., Woodhouse, M. & Bulović, V. Joule 3, 2824–2841 (2023). Firms commercializing perovskite–silicon ‘tandem’ photovoltaics say that the panels will be more efficient and could lead to cheaper electricity.

Can solar energy be used to produce cement?

Instead of burning coal or oil to produce cement or steel, in the future solar energy could be used for this purpose. Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a thermal trap that can absorb concentrated sunlight and deliver heat at over thousand degrees Celsius. The main component of the thermal trap is a cylinder made of quartz.