Plastic Photovoltaic - Myth or Reality
Depending on the characteristics of the raw materials used photovoltaic cells may be inorganic and organic nature of origin. The most common solar cells from inorganic raw materials, which are made of silicon, gallium arsenide and other inorganic compounds. Organic solar cells made from organic substances.
The main problem of traditional inorganic photovoltaic - a high price for 1 W (peak) of installed capacity. Currently, the cost of 1 watt of solar energy is 2,5-3 USD / watt. Although this price is steadily decreasing with increasing production of polycrystalline and monocrystalline silicon (since 1980 it has fallen by more than 10 times), it still remains too high. On average, 1 watt of installed capacity of solar energy is 5 times more expensive than conventional, for example, coal-fired power.
The main drawback of organic solar cells - low efficiency (4-5%). With a much lower efficiency, "plastic" solar cells at several times outperform silicon cost. They are cheap. And for the mass market price is crucial for purchase. For example, the "solar umbrella, covered with flexible, low efficiency of organic solar cells can recharge your mobile phone right on the beach. The cost of such an umbrella is comparable to the cost of conventional umbrella.
According to economists, for the mass commercialization of organic solar cells is essential that their performance was more than 7%. In April 2007, appeared in the press publications that American scientists have made the efficiency of plastic solar cells at the level of 6%.
At 2 comments followed the publication, which raises reasonable doubts about these most 6%. And one of the comments received from Keith Emery, who is director of the most authoritative certification lab in the world in Photovoltaic, part of the state "of the National Laboratory for impregnates Energy" (NREL) U.S. Department of Energy.
The essence of the claims in the comments amounted to the fact that the published spectral curves of the external quantum efficiency can not be consistent with the values of the photocurrent on the current-voltage characteristics presented there.
The problem is that many researchers in a hurry with the publication of his "records", without checking them properly. And it is not for the benefit of plastic Photovoltaic, but only hurts because risks undermining the confidence of investors and consumers of organic solar cells.
It is worth noting that the two leading companies in the plastic Photovoltaic (Konarka and Textronics) before publishing its regular advertising accomplishments, test their products at NREL.