The efficiency of solar cells may be improved by unevenness. New research suggests that building tiny domes on the surface of organic solar cells can increase their efficiency by up to two-thirds while capturing light from a wider range of angles.
Solar cells are typically flat, which maximizes the surface exposed to sunlight at any given time. This design works best when the sun is at an angle, so panels are usually tilted 15 to 40 degrees to make the most of the day.
The scientists also experimented with other shapes of surfaces, including embedded spherical silica nanoshells, which capture and circulate sunlight, allowing the device to capture more energy from it. In the new study, scientists at Abduragul University in Turkey conducted a complex simulation of how dome-like protrusions could promote organic solar surfaces.
The team studied photovoltaic cells made with an organic polymer called P3HT:ICBA as the active layer, covered with a transparent protective layer of indium tin oxide (ITO) on top of an aluminum layer and a PMMA substrate. This sandwich structure runs throughout the dome, or "hemispherical shell" as the team calls it.
The researchers performed what is known as 3D finite element analysis (FEA), which breaks down the elements of a complex system into manageable chunks in order to better simulate and analyze them.
Compared to a flat surface, uneven solar cells have a 36% and 66% increase in light absorption, depending on the degree of polarization of the light. These bumps also allow light to enter from a wider direction than a flat surface, providing angular coverage of up to 82 degrees.
Although, the team hasn't actually made a physical version of these solar cells yet, if the principle works, it can be used not only for rooftop solar, but also for systems with changing lighting conditions, such as wearable electronics.
Professor Ha Doo-young, who is in charge of the research group, said, "Due to the improvement in absorption and omnidirectionality, it will play an active role in various applications of organic solar cells such as biomedical devices, as well as power generation windows, greenhouses, and the Internet of Things." ”
The study was published in the Journal of Energy Photonics.
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