Tag Archives: silicon
Silicon-Boron Electrodes: The Key to Longer Battery Life?
The electrode material has a decisive influence on a battery’s capacity. So far, the negative electrode typically consists of graphite, whose layers can store lithium atoms. While silicone could be much more efficient choice, most silicon-based designs have a major flaw—structures tend to crack or break easily when they are used repeatedly. Scientists at the [...]
Natcore Develops First Black Silicon Solar Cell
Natcore is a solar company based in Red Bank, New Jersey, and cooperates with Rice University and National Renewable Energy Laboratory to bring new and promising thin-film solar cell technologies to the market. The collaboration has now developed what appears to be the “blackest” solar cell to date. There are constantly new technologies emerging that [...]
Solar + Nanotechnolgy: The Future of Energy
One of our Solar Energy World Facebook fans requested a blog post about solar power and nanotechnology. These two technologies combined could pave the way for even more efficient and cost effective solar power generation in the future. This post will give an overview of the concept of nanotechnology, and the effect that it may [...]
Natcore: Racking Up NREL Black Silicon Patents
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has expanded the license it gave New Jersey-based Natcore Technology to develop its black silicon. The term “black silicon” refers to the seeming color of the solar cell. The dark color allows the cells to absorb more sunlight and convert more into electricity, increasing the energy output and effective efficiency [...]
In Focus: Ion Implantation
Pure silicon isn’t terribly thrilling. It’s neither a perfect insulator nor a perfect conductor. It’s somewhere in the middle. Inserting a smattering of boron or phosphorus atoms into the silicon crystal lattice really spices things up. This process is called ion implantation and it’s one of the fundamental processes used to make microchips. Since we [...]
Silicon: Not the Only Cheap Solar Component Anymore
In the quest for more efficient and lower cost components in solar energy production, silicon might lose market share. Lux Research released a report this week revealing that two compounds new to the electronics market are edging into silicon’s territory. Silicon Carbide and Gallium Nitride are expected to gain up to 22 percent market share [...]
Natcore Teams with NREL on Black Silicon
The US Department of Energy has pledged $150,000 to fund a partnership between Natcore Technologies and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to commercialize NREL’s black silicon. Natcore, which recently moved into a lab at the Kodak facility in Rochester, N.Y., uses a patented liquid phase deposition to build solar cells and will combine that technology [...]
Ampulse: Making Solar Cheaper
A new development in the manufacturing of solar panels could not only drive down costs, but also substantially reduce the energy intensive process itself. The current state of photovoltaic panels is such that silicon wafers make up nearly half of the market. While they’re high functioning, the energy that goes into creating silicon wafers is [...]
China Slows Silicon Production, Prices Jump (SURPRISE SURPRISE)
Chinese silicon manufacturers have cut production of polysilicon in an attempt to reduce the impact a flooded market has had on worldwide PV markets. But at least one analyst doesn’t think it will have much of an impact on PV prices. China produces roughly 45 percent of the world’s polysilicon. And now the country’s silicon [...]
MIT Thermophotovoltaic Technology
Normal silicon-based photovoltaics can only convert electricity at efficiency levels of up to 33.7 percent, according to the Shockley–Queisser limit. However, new thermophotovoltaic (TPV) technology being developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) may be able to surpass that. Part of the problem with traditional silicon photovoltaics is that they can only absorb solar [...]
Silicon Solar Panels Still King in Residential Market
You may have come to picture solar panels as rectangles angled toward the sun atop homes and businesses across the country. What you’repicturing is most likely an array of silicon-based solar panels — whichcome in two common “flavors,” monocrystalline and polycrystalline. Butnext time you see such a system, take a good look… maybe even snap [...]
Cleantech, Jobs and Silicon Valley
One of the things I learned last week was that an event that combinescleantech, jobs and great food—along with effective advertising—candeliver an excellent turnout. Indeed that formula worked at the recent Cleantech Outlook:Growing Green Jobs panel. The event, moderated by Rex Northen, executive director of Cleantech Open, was co-sponsored by the Santa Clara University Leavey [...]