BBC Focus Magazine

[Shadowwolf]

The efficiency of conventional solar cells could be significantly increased, according to new research on the mechanisms of solar energy conversion led by chemist Xiaoyang Zhu at The University of Texas at Austin.

Zhu and his team have discovered that it's possible to double the number of electrons harvested from one photon of sunlight using an organic plastic semiconductor material.

"Plastic semiconductor solar cell production has great advantages, one of which is low cost," said Zhu, a professor of chemistry. "Combined with the vast capabilities for molecular design and synthesis, our discovery opens the door to an exciting new approach for solar energy conversion, leading to much higher efficiencies."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215141617.htm

[M Paul Lloyd]

I like the sound of this, although I would like to see the manufacturing costs of solar panels come down by at least 80% before I get too excited.

[Healerman]

I've read an article, quite recently (can't recall where...and the Focus "Search" seems to have knocked off for Christmas) on the resurgence of interest in thermoelectric materials, which were once dismissed for being so much less efficient than photoelectric. Apparently new developments mean such materials are now competitive with photoelectric, and might even be able to be applied to rooftops as a coat of paint.

Significantly, thermoelectric materials could be layered beneath photoelectric panels, which are transparent to a large part of the electromagnetic spectrum that converts to heat, capturing more of the incoming energy. The suggested efficiency increases were substantial.