High-efficiency low cost photosensitised solar cell

Completed

Renewable Energy Sources(Solar Energy, Photovoltaics)

Basic and strategic applied research

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Dr T Markvart
School of Engineering Sciences
University of Southampton

3

Carbon Trust

01 June 2004

30 June 2006

24 months

£180,000

South East

Dr T Markvart, School of Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton

The primary objective of the project is to determine whether an idea for a significant advance in solar cell technology can be realised in the research environment, and determine the critical parameters of the technology. The project will have two technical phases:1. Evaluate the practical feasibility and quantify the overall potential of the proposed dye sensitising technique.2. Fabricate a novel solar cell structure, including the semiconductor component of the device. The objectives will also include a continuing commercial evaluation of the technology and an assessment of the optimum route for realising the potential value through technology transfer.

The photovoltaic industry and the application of solar cells has developed over the last fifty years from tiny electrical supplies for space satellites to megawatt photovoltaic power stations. Some 5km2 of solar cells were produced in 2002.Substantial growth, however, is restricted by the cost of electricity generation by solar cells, which currently is around 4/Watt. To compete with conventional electricity sources the cost must be reduced to around 1/Watt. This reduction will only be achieved by the introduction of new materials and structures that reduce the amount of high quality crystalline silicon currently needed to produce solar cells. Over 95% of the material in current silicon solar cells is used for light absorption rather than generation of electricity. The proposed technology will combine the advantages of high optical absorption by dye molecules with the efficient electronic properties of crystalline silicon. The new cell introduces energy collection (light harvesting) structures that are common in photosynthetic reaction centres. These efficient structures need much less bulk silicon, which can also be of a lower quality than in the conventional cell. The technology will thus reduce substantially the capital cost for solar electricity production and should make 1/Watt achievable. The University of Southampton, academics from the School of Engineering Sciences at the University of Southampton and the Intellectual Property company IP2IPO plan to form and invest in a spin-out company, whose primary objective will be to finance and manage the research outlined in this proposal and commercially exploit the results

01/01/07