NSW researcher advances solar efficiency by a decade
Australian researchers at the University of NSW have developed a photovoltiac (PV) manufacturing method and picked up $560,000 for their efforts. Professor Stuart Wenham, head of the university’s photovoltaic centre of excellence, and his team were awarded the A. F. Harvey Engineering Research Prize from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (dubbed the Oscars of solar research) for their breakthrough – a discovery that is said to have advanced the production of solar PV panels by a decade.
Across the nation more than 1.6 million Australians have installed rooftop solar panels, with the install base doubling in the last two years on the back of reduced upfront costs and increased efficiency – trends that show no sign of abating.
“We’ve been able to figure out what the secret is that enables hydrogen to sometimes work the way people want it to, and sometimes doesn’t,” explains Wenham of his discovery.
Their process uses Hydrogen cells to reduce defects in the silicon used in solar panel manufacturing. While Hydrogen is not a new element in the production process, until now our understanding of it has been limited – Wenham discovered that cheap silicon can be transformed into a high performing material, reaching a similar output as high-grade substances at a fraction of the cost.
While it’s not expected that a sudden drop in solar panels will occurr any time soon, it seems that the process can be easily merged with the current manufacturing process. “We are expecting it to have an impact pretty much immediately just on existing silicon technologies as it’s something we can slot right in there at the end of processing of existing cells,” he says.
However distant, advances in solar panel efficiency are vital for the solar industry. Larger, more efficient panels increase the viability for home owners with small rooftops that limit the number of panels that can be installed. Reductions in cost also make installing solar far more attractive in the long run due to a more lucrative return on investment. All of this is good news for potential solar buyers!
