How Nanotechnology will Make Standard Solar Panels Obsolete
Yep. You read that right. A new technology that merges Solar Panels with Nanotechnology could change the way the world produces energy.
The Problem
Simply put, the problem with current methods of generating energy are either not efficient or not sustainable. Fossil fuels produce over 80% of the world’s energy, but using these produces harmful fossil fuels, leading to climate change and negative environmental impacts. Moreover, fossil fuels are a non-renewable resource, making them even less sustainable. Other alternate energy sources such as wind and hydro electricity are not as efficient, or are more expensive. They require large amounts of space to produce sufficient energy, or large amounts of money to keep them operational.
If we look at regular solar panels, they are probably the worst one. Solar panels are very expensive to make. On top of that, they are extremely inefficient. Solar Panels today absorb a maximum of 20% of the light hitting them. They require huge amounts of open space in order to generate sufficient energy.
Our Solution
Using Nanotechnology, we can solve all of these problems. Instead of creating photovoltaic cells the traditional way, we use silicon nano-structures to increase the efficiency of our solar panels, at a cheaper cost. The nano-structures allow for over 90% of the light energy to be absorbed because the photons will be trapped and limited to bounce around within the nano-protrusions. This remarkably better than the mere 20% absorbed by current solar panels. The product is flexible, low cost solar panels that will revolutionize energy production – and we call it SolarSkin.
This technology has the capacity to absorb over 400% more energy from light than standard solar panels. It can absorb up to 95% of the light hitting it’s surface because of the silicon nanostructures that trap the light and keep the photons within the solar cell. This means you need significantly less space to produce the same amount of energy compared to normal solar panels. In addition, nanotech solar panels are much more cost effective. Silicon nanostructures are cheap to source and manufacture using various machining techniques. This results in an increased ratio of energy output vs. cost required.
Moreover, nanotech solar panels can be flexible, while still being durable. The narrow semiconductor layers and thin-film technology allow the panels to be bent, permanently or temporarily with no structural damaged. They can be placed on smooth or irregular surfaces.
Lastly, these new panels have a very small environmental impact. They can be created with almost no greenhouse gases or harmful waste products, in contrast to the way that solar panels must be made today. Using silicon as a semiconductor that can also form nanostructures is the key to this. It also uses up to 5 times less space to generate the same amount of energy, which means that there will be no need for deforestation or habitat destruction to implement these panels.
How It Works
Okay, this sounds super awesome. But, how exactly will it work, and how is the technology different from regular solar panels?
In a standard photovoltaic cell (solar panel), a majority of the light hitting the panel is reflected away by the protective glass coating or is not absorbed once it reaches the semiconductor layer of the panel. Large amounts of energy are wasted, and an average of only 15% of the possible energy is captured. The thick layers of rigid material result in a panel that is bulky, heavy, and prone to breaking. This is shown in the diagram below:
However, SolarSkin cells are made of nano-structures that maximise efficiency. Silicon nano-wires protrude from the base and trap any light that hits it. The photons bounce between the nano-wires instead of being reflected away, so the energy can be optimally absorbed. The thin cover film, which replaces the protective glass, means only 5 – 15% of the light is reflected away. The thin-film layers and flexible polymer (plastic) backsheet allow for bendable, lightweight panels:
Instead of having a thick, glass cover, which will reflect most of the photons, we use a thin cover film which reflects as few photons as possible. Most of the light is able to enter the silicon nanowire mesh. These are silicon, finger like protrusions (nanowires) that are between 300 – 500 nanometers long. They extend out from the silicon base and force light to bounce between the nanowires until it is fully absorbed by the panel. The nanoprotursions also significantly increase the surface area of the panel while using less silicon and taking up far less space. Nearly all of the light that hits the silicon nanowires it is trapped and then absorbed into the solar panel for energy.
Manufacturing the Panels
The way that we can make SolarSkin cells at a low price while still maintaining efficiency in the product is by using Metal-Assisted Chemical Etchnig (MACE) to etch the nanowires into the silicon.
A silicon wafer is the starting point for the nanostructures. Silicon makes up 27.7% of the earth’s crust and earth’s second most abundant element (after oxygen). This means that silicon can be sourced at a very cheap price, and can be bought in high quantities to make hundreds of panels at once. The silicon wafer is coated in a thin layer of a metal catalyst. Then, it is immersed in an etching solution (typically an acid and an oxidizing agent such as hydrogen peroxide).
The metal catalyst acts like a template for the etching, and initiates the formation of the silicon nanowires. The solution reacts with the silicon and removes away exposed areas of silicon, leaving behind only the nanowires that were outlined by the metal catalyst.
The MACE process is a simple and scalable technique. It can be integrated into large scale production, further reducing the cost of creating SolarSkin panels. Moreover, the metal “templates” can be reused over and over again, which increases cost-efficiency even further. Instead the many manual steps required to manufacture standard solar panels, we use a single chemical etching process, combined with thin-film layering, to create our SolarSkin cells. This is how we can create solar panels that are up to 4 times better than regular solar panels while being manufactured at even lower prices.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the current methods of generating energy are not sustainable, efficient, or environmentally friendly. SolarSkin has the potential to revolutionize energy production by increasing the efficiency of solar panels while reducing their cost and environmental impact. We use MACE tech to etch the nanowires into the silicon, resulting in a low-cost manufacturing process. SolarSkin will revolutionize the solar panel industry and will lead the transition to widely implemented, sustainable energy.
For more information, please visit our website at https://solarskin.ca.
