- IBM Researchers have developed a new type of solar cell which more efficiently converts sunlight into electricity (9.6% vs 6.7%).
- Semiconductor made of the elements copper, zinc, tin, and sulfur (abundant & cheap) as well as selenium (rare yet relatively cheap).
- Pros:
- Uses cheaper materials than other "thin film" solar cells.
- Ink-based manufacturing process solves many quality issues previously encountered with solar cells.
- Cons:
- The ultimate hurdle preventing mass-production of efficient solar cells is high cost and inadequate supply of the rare semiconductor components (e.g. selenium, indium, gallium).
- Future Research:
- If most/all of these elements could be replaced with a more common element such as sulfur without dampening semiconductor efficiency, the commercial success of solar cell technology would be soon-to-come.
http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/24521/?nlid=2741
