Scientists Enhance Solar Panel Efficiency Using Novel Electrode Technology
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).