Scientists Improved the Efficiency of a Solar Panel With a New Electrode

09:42, February 1, 2024

This increased the efficiency by 42 %

UrFU scientists and their colleagues from Iraq and Saudi Arabia developed a new electrode that has increased the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar panels by 42%: from 5.78% to 8.19%. The electrode consists of relatively inexpensive materials, selenium and tungsten, and could therefore provide an alternative to more expensive platinum-based analogs. The scientists published detailed information on the study and the new electrode in the journal Material Science in Semiconductor Processing.

"The electrode is an important component of dye-sensitized solar panels. It is responsible for transferring electricity between the various components of the device. Our electrode has improved electrochemical and electrocatalytic properties, which allowed us to increase the solar panel efficiency by 42%: from 5.78% to 8.19%. It is important to note that our electrode outperformed its platinum analog, which efficiency in laboratory conditions amounted to 7.66%," explains Abhinav Kumar, co-author of the study and researcher at the Department of Nuclear Power Plants and Renewable Energy Sources at UrFU.

Dye-sensitized solar panels are photovoltaic (PV) devices that use organic dyes to convert sunlight into electricity. Unlike silicon solar installations, these devices have a simple design as well as a relatively low price. However, their power conversion efficiency (PCE) is lower than that of their silicon analogs, and this is a serious hurdle to their commercialization.

"Under real-world conditions, the PCE of silicon solar panels is 15-20%. This is higher than that of dye-sensitized solar panels. However, the presence of expensive materials in silicon devices, such as platinum, significantly increases the cost of the entire installation. To reduce the production cost and bring the commercialization of solar panels closer, we are working on modifying the solar cells and changing the composition of components to more efficient and lower cost components," comments Abhinav Kumar. 

Scientists have developed a new electrode from a bimetallic compound consisting of tungsten and selenium. To improve its properties, physicists added zinc ions.

"Alloying zinc ions helped to modify the structural and electronic properties of the substance, its electrochemical properties, and cost-effectiveness. We hope that our further work will help select the optimal material composition to further improve the energy efficiency of dye-sensitized solar panels," concludes Abhinav Kumar.

Note that the study was carried out in collaboration with Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz and King Khalid Universities (Saudi Arabia), as well as University of Technology-Iraq in Baghdad, Al-Ayen University, Technical Engineering College in Erbil, College of Engineering Technology of Islamic University of Najaf, Al Diwaniyah, Babylon, and Imam Ja'afar Al‐Sadiq University University (Iraq).

Reference

Solar panels are commonly divided into three generations. Each of them has certain advantages and disadvantages.

The first generation is represented by traditional silicon solar panels, which are widely used nowadays. They are highly efficient, but their production is extremely costly as it requires expensive materials and equipment. 

The second generation of solar panels are photovoltaic devices based on thin films such as amorphous silicon films or cadmium-telluride films. They are flexible and relatively inexpensive, but their efficiency is inferior to first-generation solar panels.

The composition of third generation solar panels includes various materials: dye-sensitized solar cells, perovskite solar cells, organic dyes, quantum dots, etc. Due to the low cost of production, ease of utilization and a wide range of applications, this type of panels can solve the problem of widespread commercial introduction of photovoltaic devices.

According to the International Energy Agency, most of the solar energy in 2022 was produced in China: this country generated about 38% of all solar energy. The European Union is in second place, which produced 17% of all solar energy. It is immediately followed by the USA as they managed to get 15 % of all solar energy.

Sergey Lukyanchenko

The news article was translated by UrFU International Marketing Office.
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