Stacks On!
Not all scientific advancements need to be high-concept or feel like a science fiction writer came up with it.
Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a way to enhance the overall solar efficiency of solar powers, simply by creating a new stacking method.
Designers stack the solar PV panels nearly on top of each other, ensuring that the connection junctions between individual cells don’t absorb any solar energy or lead to voltage loss from the cells. From there they take one additional step to ensure nearly no energy is lost.
“We have discovered that by inserting a very thin film of gallium arsenide into the connection junction of stacked cells we can virtually eliminate voltage loss without blocking any of the solar energy,” said Dr. Salah Bedair, North Carolina State professor of electrical engineering.
Previously, concentrating lenses have increased the amount of sunlight that hit the solar PV panels but tend to lose voltage through the connection junctions.
Dr. Bedair and his team’s research will assist the use of concentrating lenses by almost eliminating the voltage loss, which means more efficient solar absorption.
This new technology will reduce the cost for homeowners because they’ll be able to buy smaller solar PV panels without reducing their solar energy intake. All thanks to a little ingenuity and previously established technology.
