Solar Cell success - January 2008
Experts from the University's Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology (CREST) have been celebrating after creating silicon cells with a high efficiency rate.
The work on the cells is part of the 'Photovoltaic Materials for the 21st Century' (PV21) project. Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the study is one of a series of advanced energy research projects supported by the EPSRC's Sustainable Power Generation and Supply Initiative (Supergen).
Several British universities and companies are involved in the £4.5 million PV21 project, which started in April 2004 and is due to be completed this year. It is the UK's largest ever single research programme on solar cells and its main aim is to make renewable energy more cost effective.
At CREST a team led by Professor Ayodhya Tiwari have produced silicon solar cells using Laser Grooved Buried Contact (LGBC) technology with an efficiency of 14.7%. This is close to the 18%, efficiency achieved by BP Solar, one of the world's largest solar companies.
Dr Gianfranco Claudio, a Research Associate in the University's PV Devices group said: "This is a truly remarkable result given we have had to build our facilities within the laboratories from scratch and the short time we have been processing cells for.
"This efficiency has been obtained on the very first cells we have produced from start to finish, and I am confident that by the end of the project in March, the silicon solar cells we produce will achieve efficiency comparable to the best laboratory in Europe".