The resulting ultra-light solar cell can generate 6 watts of power per gram, about 400 times more than its conventional counterpart. The new process is detailed in the journal Organic.
MIT researchers created solar cells that are so thin and light that they can be draped on top of a soap bubble, without popping the bubble. (Image credit: Joel Jean and Anna Osherov) Scientists have created the thinnest, lightest solar power cells yet — so lightweight that they can be draped on top of a soap bubble without popping it.
According to Munoz et al. (2011), the bubbles impede the heat dissipation of the cells, increase the overheating, reduce the lifespan of the module, decrease the solar irradiance absorption, and increase the reflection of sunlight on the photovoltaic module.
During the visual inspection, the formation of bubbles was observed only in the encapsulant above the PV cells within the PV module. However, these bubbles position is consistent with other defects, such as chalking, browning, and bleaching, indicating that these bubbles are distinct from those usually observed. 1. Introduction
According to Sinha et al. (2016) bubbles that appear in PV modules can also reduce their reliability and performance. It is stated that the formation of these bubbles results from the degradation of encapsulation materials such as EVA ( Pern et al., 1996, Peike et al., 2012, Allen et al., 2000, Peike et al., 2013 ).
How do solar cells work?
The entire process takes place in a vacuum chamber at room temperature and without the use of any solvents, unlike conventional solar-cell manufacturing, which requires high temperatures and harsh chemicals. In this case, both the substrate and the solar cell are “grown” using established vapor deposition techniques.
Could solar cells be the thinnest & lightest solar cells ever produced?
Imagine solar cells so thin, flexible, and lightweight that they could be placed on almost any material or surface, including your hat, shirt, or smartphone, or even on a sheet of paper or a helium balloon. Researchers at MIT have now demonstrated just such a technology: the thinnest, lightest solar cells ever produced.