Scientists Develop Thinnest Solar Panel in the World That Could Change the Renewable Market

Written by Valdemar Medeiros

Published on 20/12/2021 at 10:50

Dentre as diversas vantagens,a flexibilidade, transparência e espessura mínima se destacam. [Imagem: Koosha Nassiri Nazif]

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Researchers Developed a Solar Panel 15 Times Thinner Than Normal Paper. So Far, the Solar Market-Focused Prototype Managed Only 5.1% Efficiency, However, the Estimate Is That It Will Reach 27%, Capable of Revolutionizing the Renewable Energy Industry

Scientists at Stanford University, located in the U.S., developed the thinnest solar panel ever built, which promises to innovate the renewable energy sector. The active element of solar power cells is a two-dimensional material, a semiconductor that has only one atomic layer in thickness. The material, called tungsten diselenide, belongs to a class known as transition metal dichalcogenides, materials that are the basis for new computing architectures, such as electronic components, solar power cells, and new display technologies. Read also: Graphene in the Arms Market Gains Traction in Brazil and Excites Bolsonaro.

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New Solar Panel Achieved 5.1% Efficiency

*Diagram of TMD Solar Cells. [Image: Koosha Nassiri Nazif et al. – 10.1038/s41467-021-27195-7]*

Despite being very promising in this last case, the fact is that practical experiments conducted up to this point have not managed to achieve much more than 2% efficiency from TMD solar power cells, compared to nearly 30% for silicon-based cells. Recently, a company from Rio de Janeiro created a graphene tile capable of generating solar energy and with a lifespan of 80 years.

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Thinnest Solar Panel Prototype in the World Produces 4.4 Watts Per Gram

The prototype achieved a power-to-weight ratio 100 times greater than any of its kind ever developed. This ratio is essential for mobile and portable applications, such as electric cars and drones, and for the capability of recharging on the go, by transferring renewable energy wirelessly.

In terms of specific power, the solar panel prototype generated 4.4 watts per gram, a value quite competitive with other thin-film solar cells. Scientists’ calculations also indicate that it is possible to improve significantly in this regard, reaching 46 watts per gram.

Advantages of the New Solar Panel

The greatest benefit of the new solar panel is its thinness, which not only minimizes its material cost and usage but also makes TMD solar cells lightweight, adaptable, and flexible enough to be molded into irregular shapes, such as the roof of a car, electronics, or the wing of an airplane, for example.

The thickest part of the renewable energy prototype is not the solar cells, which measure only a few hundred nanometers thick, but rather the polymer that supports them.

Scientists Develop Thinnest Solar Panel in the World That Could Change the Renewable Market

Researchers Developed a Solar Panel 15 Times Thinner Than Normal Paper. So Far, the Solar Market-Focused Prototype Managed Only 5.1% Efficiency, However, the Estimate Is That It Will Reach 27%, Capable of Revolutionizing the Renewable Energy Industry

Read Other Related News

New Solar Panel Achieved 5.1% Efficiency

Thinnest Solar Panel Prototype in the World Produces 4.4 Watts Per Gram

Advantages of the New Solar Panel

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Scientists Develop Thinnest Solar Panel in the World That Could Change the Renewable Market

Researchers Developed a Solar Panel 15 Times Thinner Than Normal Paper. So Far, the Solar Market-Focused Prototype Managed Only 5.1% Efficiency, However, the Estimate Is That It Will Reach 27%, Capable of Revolutionizing the Renewable Energy Industry

Read Other Related News

New Solar Panel Achieved 5.1% Efficiency

Thinnest Solar Panel Prototype in the World Produces 4.4 Watts Per Gram

Advantages of the New Solar Panel

Mother and daughter build a 70 m² house with more than 8,000 discarded glass bottles and impress with their creativity; known as the Casa de Sal, the property is located on Itamaracá Island, in Pernambuco.

Workers were opening a new road connection near the Marginal Tietê when they found, in the underground of the construction site, remnants of locomotives, wagons, and boilers from the 19th century linked to the forgotten history of Lapa.

Instead of burning or burying old tires, an American city is transforming about 2,000 of them into the street itself, paving its first sections with a quieter and more durable rubber asphalt.

China transforms desert-devastated area into the world’s largest artificial forest, planting trees for 60 years, blocking sand that reached Beijing, and creating a “green lung” of 92,000 hectares in a region once considered lost.

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