Researchers from the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Laboratory have discovered the potential of bacteria in solar cells for harvesting low-level light.
A report on Renewable Energy News states that the research group, working in conjunction with Washington University, found the organic solar cells collected sunlight for conversion to energy even in low light.
They hope that by mimicking certain natural aspects they could achieve the same sunlight-to-energy conversion rate in a bio-inspired solar cell.
Documents and links
-
Renewable Energy News feature
Bacteria's potential for solar cell materials
External Link
-
Subscribe to +Plastic Electronics magazine
Subscribe to +Plastic Electronics magazine, published six times a year, for just £100/€110/$160. Find out more here
External Link
-
First commercial product for organic solar cell
Welsh OPV firm G24 Innovations is shipping its solar cells for use in a range of bags for consumer electronics
External Link
-
Nano solar developer secures funding to commercialise technology
A Norwegian company developing a new thin-film solar cell has begun a programme to develop a prototype by 2013, with the aim of commercialisation by 2015 at the earliest
External Link
-
Textured substrates raise organic solar cell efficiencies
US-based researchers at the Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University have developed a process for applying a thin and uniform light-absorbing layer on textured substrates that improves the efficiencies of polymer solar cells by increasing light absorption
External Link