MIT researchers create the first solar cell printed on paper (Credit: CNET)
In an stellar breakthrough, researchers have come up with a way to print solar cells:
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have successfully coated paper with a solar cell, part of a suite of research projects aimed at energy breakthroughs...
[T]he technique, in which paper is coated with organic semiconductor material using a process similar to an inkjet printer, is a promising way to lower the weight of solar panels. "If you could use a staple gun to install a solar panel, there could be a lot of value," Bulovic said.
The materials MIT researchers used are carbon-based dyes and the cells are about 1.5 percent to 2 percent efficient at converting sunlight to electricity. But any material could be used if it can be deposited at room temperature, Bulovic said. "Absolutely, the trick was coming up with ways to use paper," he said.
The technique, which is still in the development phase, is expected to significantly reduce the cost of solar power:
Solar power is a great alternative energy source, but it’s unfortunately a rather expensive one. However, researchers at MIT are working on a new and less-expensive way to make solar cells which involves printing them directly on to fabric or paper.
We’re not talking about any fancy paper or fabrics. The MIT researchers discovered the printing process works on just about any paper, from regular printer paper, to tissue paper, and even to already-printed newspaper. However, printing the cells is not as simple. It must be done in a vacuum-tight room where the special “ink” is deposited on the paper. According to an article by MIT’s David L. Chandler, the process is almost as cheap and as easy as printing a photo on your inkjet.
It’s a much easier method than the current one, which needs super high-temperature liquids at several hundred degrees Celsius to create the cells. The new method uses vapors and lower temperatures at less than 120 degrees Celsius. According to Chandler, these “gentle conditions” are what makes it possible to use untreated paper as the substrate.