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With the discovery of the efficiency of copper in solar panels, the startup aims to progress in the manufacturing process, where silver will be replaced by copper in the coming years
Australian startup SunDrive has created what its researchers are calling 'the world's most efficient solar cell', as it is the only one so far capable of replacing silver with copper. Upon obtaining this wonderful discovery and carrying out the necessary changes and adaptations, the material reached an energy efficiency of around 25,54%, annulling the previous record which was around 25,26%.
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Silver is used in the manufacture of conventional solar panels and is an essential element for the plates to work properly. Currently, the production of photovoltaic cells represents about 15% of industrial silver consumption worldwide.
When carrying out experiments with copper, a satisfactory result was obtained, to the point of considering its permanent use in place of silver, traditionally used, because in addition to being much cheaper than silver, copper is found abundantly in nature, with the advantage of needing less energy to be processed.
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Startup will invest in the use of copper, replacing silver in the manufacturing process of solar energy panels
According to the co-founder of the startup, Vince Allen, about a decade ago, solar cells that were manufactured in commercial size had an efficiency limit, which could vary between 14% and 16%, that is, this limit was based on the total energy generated, based on the amount of sunlight that could reach the panels.
These percentages were very low, making the use of this type of system totally irrelevant and unnecessary when compared to other energy sources that were already on the market or that were in the final stages of development.
Now, with the replacement of silver by copper, the startup researchers are striving to align two key factors for the continued use of this technology, adapting it to an industrial scale, which is to reduce the price of solar energy panels and increase energy efficiency. photovoltaic cells that are used to generate electricity from the panels.
Application in project practice
According to SunDrive executives, it will still take some time for the company to start the process of producing solar energy panels on a commercial scale using copper instead of silver.
Even if researchers are not yet fully ready for the manufacturing process of photovoltaic cells in systems intended for installation, the efficiency record achieved by the startup already represents a huge change for the photovoltaic solar panel industry.
Vince Allen believes that, if they follow the timeline drawn up by the research team, the plan going forward is to build a module that can be installed on the roof of homes or even a solar farm by the end of 2021.
Allen and his team are focused on building the pilot production line by 2022, with solar panels ready to be commercialized on a large scale by the first half of 2023.
