Three solar technologies to look forward to!

- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

Solar energy has been recognised as a source, which will help us in the future. Many feel the potential status of the energy is set to remain the same for quite some time before the energy is able to sustain the rigors of the world without subsidies.

That said, the solar energy market is indeed on its way to attain growth and the technological advancements are steady. A report two months ago by TechNavio, part of the market research firm Infinity Research, projected a 15.3 per cent annual growth for the industry in the next three years.

A recent McKinsey report published highlights, saying that solar cell cost will continue to drop 10 per cent every year till 2020, by which time 400 to 600 GW of capacity would have been added globally. The dominance of silicon photovoltaics has been dampened by the emergence of solar technologies, which form an active area for research.

- Advertisement -

One of the most promising is thin films and it is said that projects in India are using it heavily already and technology is rapidly advancing in this field. Also in the works are new solar thermal technologies, plasmonic solar and all-carbon solar cells. We find out which innovations could liven up the solar sector in the near future.

Carbon Solar
Replacing silicon with carbon is a good way of making solar energy cheap and ubiquitous, but so far this feat has eluded scientists. Now researchers at Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) demonstrate two different methods to make all-carbon solar cells.

The Stanford method could lead to cheap and flexible solar panels, while the MIT method could be combined with silicon technology to make more efficient solar cells.

3D Solar

Why should solar cells remain aloof in an increasingly 3D world? MIT researchers have demonstrated that stacking them in three dimensions can help produce 20 times more power per square foot than using flat panels. 

This and other 3D designs could help solve one of the most serious drawbacks of solar electricity: requirement of a large surface area.

Thin Film

Flexible solar cells have a number of uses in daily life. Researchers at the University of California in Los Angeles have come up with a novel idea: make them flexible as well as transparent. In fact, their solar cells are transparent to visible light but absorb infra-red.

This means that you could coat anything – phones, wristwatches, cars – with this material and they continue generating electricity. Infrared radiation is present everywhere. Even at night.

- Advertisement -

Related Artcles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here
Captcha verification failed!
CAPTCHA user score failed. Please contact us!

Exclusive

“Our Goal is to Offer 1000 To 1500 Varieties, With Volumes Ranging From 10000...

0
During a chat with Nitisha Dubey from EFY, Mohammed Iqbal, CEO of Technomake Electronics Pvt Ltd, talks about PCB assembly and major customer focus...

India, China Grow Amid First Global Cellular IoT Module Shipments Annual Decline

0
Several companies started local manufacturing in India. 4G Cat 1 bis emerged as the fastest-growing segment. Around 12% of the modules shipped in...

“More Chargers Provide Security And Confidence To Customers, Encouraging EV Adoption”

0
With an agenda to transform the EV industry, EarthtronEV has established 250+ charging stations on major highways across India. The company aims to interconnect...

Buzz

TSMC

SmartSoC To Provide Chip Design Services Through TSMC’s Design Alliance

0
SmartSoC solutions will provide chip design services and system-level solutions, making it easier for customers to adopt TSMC's technology. Chip design services provider SmartSoC Solutions...

Montra Electric Boosts Amritsar’s Green Mobility with RAAHI Project

0
The initiative is a component of the City Investments to Innovate, Integrate, and Sustain (CITIIS) program, which falls under the auspices of the Ministry...

BYD Delays Vietnam EV Factory Plans

0
Vietnam's government announced in May that BYD plans to construct a facility for manufacturing and assembling electric cars in Phu Tho, a northern Vietnamese...

Important Sectors

Microchip Technology Expands TrustFLEX Family With CEC1736 Real-Time Platform Root Of Trust Devices

0
TrustFLEX devices along with the Trust Platform Design Suite tool will simplify the enablement of root of trust from concept to production in wide...
TSMC

SmartSoC To Provide Chip Design Services Through TSMC’s Design Alliance

0
SmartSoC solutions will provide chip design services and system-level solutions, making it easier for customers to adopt TSMC's technology. Chip design services provider SmartSoC Solutions...

India, China Grow Amid First Global Cellular IoT Module Shipments Annual Decline

0
Several companies started local manufacturing in India. 4G Cat 1 bis emerged as the fastest-growing segment. Around 12% of the modules shipped in...

Montra Electric Boosts Amritsar’s Green Mobility with RAAHI Project

0
The initiative is a component of the City Investments to Innovate, Integrate, and Sustain (CITIIS) program, which falls under the auspices of the Ministry...

BYD Delays Vietnam EV Factory Plans

0
Vietnam's government announced in May that BYD plans to construct a facility for manufacturing and assembling electric cars in Phu Tho, a northern Vietnamese...

Manufacturing

BYD Delays Vietnam EV Factory Plans

0
Vietnam's government announced in May that BYD plans to construct a facility for manufacturing and assembling electric cars in Phu Tho, a northern Vietnamese...

JLR To Hire 250 Electrical Technicians For Future EVs

0
These new roles, part of a £15 billion investment, are in addition to 300 positions created last year by the British car maker. Jaguar Land...

Altmin India Partners With WMG To Advance Battery Tech

0
Altmin and WMG will collaborate to strengthen their global battery materials supply chain position by optimizing cathode materials and developing diverse cell designs across...

EVs To Cost Less Than Gas Vehicles by 2027, Says Gartner

0
Gartner predicts a faster decline in production costs compared to battery costs, which represent the most significant expense in an electric vehicle, accounting for...
MG

MG Motor To Set Up Battery Assembly Unit At Halol Facility

0
The company plans to investigate battery cell production in collaboration with external partners. Automaker MG Motor India is actively exploring the possibility of assembling and...