Thin-Film CIGS Solar Cell Sets New Efficiency

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Excerpt: Researchers from the Germany Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW) have broken a new efficiency record for thin-film copper indium gallium diselenide solar cells.The researchers produced a 20.3 percent efficient cell, only a fraction less than the best multi-crystalline cells o …

PV Vision Sensor Identifies Smallest Solar Cell Inconsistencies

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Excerpt: SensoPart Industriesensorik GmbH (Wieden, Germany) expanded its program of vision sensors by adding a solution for photovoltaics: The new vision solar sensor FA 46 is the only sensor in its price category available on the market that measures each individual cell and is consequently able to ident …

Fused Quartz, A Critical Component Of The Solar Power Industry

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Excerpt: As the photovoltaic industry advances, the use of fused quartz becomes more vital, in creating thin films and silicon chips as well as manufacturing and laboratory ware.Much of the success of sustainable energy sources depends on the achievement of improved efficiencies, and photovoltaics are …

New Solar Cell Generates Electricity Via Sun’s Light & Heat

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Excerpt: A team of scientists has invented a new type of solar cell that converts both the sun's heat and light into electricity, potentially giving a boost to the efficiency of solar energy harvesting devices. The cell combines a photovoltaic process that turns light into electricity with another that c …

Researchers Create Organic Photovoltaic Panels From Graphene

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Excerpt: Despite the fact that graphene has been known to exist for decades, only recently have researchers begun to study graphene in earnest. The reason for the relatively late start into research using grapheme is that the material was difficult to make in quantities needed for research.Once that h …

IBM Creates “Cooling Liquid” Which Significantly Reduces Costs For CPV

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Excerpt: IBM announced a research breakthrough in PV technology that could significantly reduce the cost of harnessing the Sun's power for electricity.By mimicking the antics of a child using a magnifying glass to burn a leaf or a camper to start a fire, IBM scientists are using a large lens to con …

Magnolia Solar Receives $1M To Advance Thin-Film Solar Cells

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Excerpt: Magnolia Solar has received a US$1 million award from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). This award is to develop advanced thin-film solar cells in partnership with the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany.Magnol …

Research Shows Nanotube Thermocells Can Be Excellent Power Sources

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Excerpt: According to a study published in the American Chemical Society's Nano Letters journal, researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have determined that thermocells based on carbon nanotube electrodes could be used for generating electrical energy from heat cast off by chemical plants, auto …

XRF Management Tool Measures PV Thickness

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Excerpt: Solar Metrology expanded its SMX XRF tool portfolio for film composition and thickness measurement of CIGS photovoltaic depositions with the addition of the System SMX-Remote static head ILH.Solar Metrology’s System SMX-ILH is atmospheric in-line x-ray fluorescence (XRF) metrology tool plat …

Machine Gives Silicon Cells An Anti-Reflective Coating

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Excerpt: Singulus Technologies commissioned the first SINGULAR inline coating machine for anti-reflective coating of silicon solar cells at a European customer. The cells produced  achieve an excellent efficiency. In addition, the cells are characterized by a very homogenous coloring. The SINGULUS inline …