Sol Voltaics, the Swedish development company, has developed a nano film, which can increase the efficiency of solar cells. The film is made of a transparent polymer, which is attached on top of a conventional solar cell. According to research, a solar cell coated with the nano film has proven to increase its production by 50 percent or more.
Lars Samuelsson, Professor of Solid State Physics at Lund University, who led the research behind the company, said: “This is fantastic progress. Standard solar cells with an efficiency of 16-17 percent can be boosted up to 27 percent. Yet the cost of the finished solar cells is no more than 10-15 percent.”
Unique to Sun Voltaics, technology can produce nano wires fairly cheaply. The company has successfully developed a way of aligning the wires within the film, enabling maximum light capture. Nano wires catch sunlight by way of “antennas”; a gallium arsenide generally contained within.
Before the nano film can sit on solar cells, which can be purchased by ordinary consumers, it will take another two to three years, according to Samuelsson.
Erik Smith, CEO of Sol Voltaics, explained: “The efficiency of our GaAs nanowires is a critical component of our low-cost film. The use of III-V materials in the PV industry has always been a goal but the costs have been prohibitive. Using Sol Voltaic’s Aerotaxy® nanowire production methodology allows our III-V film to be produced at competitive cost at efficiencies that are industry changing.
“We look forward to working with industrial partners on the integration of our technology onto Si cells so they may make the leap to 27% efficiency and beyond.”
The films are due to be tested at Sol Voltaics’ international partners within a year. The company has secured SEK 140 million in venture capital, coming in part from the Saudi Arabian venture capital company Riyadh Valley Company, as well as the Swedish Energy Agency and EU research program Horizon 2020.
