BRITS DOING THIN FILM SOLAR

It is not entirely clear whether thin film solar is one of those technologies researchers are forever chasing but nevering making commercial, or whether it is THE solar technology solution. What is clear: If one of the many research teams around the country and around the world finds the secret formula to turn solar cells into a durable house paint or roof shingle at a high efficiency and an affordable price, they will get very rich very fast.

New Solar Cells Could Expand Sun Power
August 28, 2007 (UPI)
and
Cheap home solar power on the way
23 August 2007 (BBC News)

WHO
Prof Ken Durose, director, Durham Centre for Renewable Energy and his team of researchers

Schematic of what is called "thin-layer" in Britain. (click to enlarge)

WHAT
The Durham team is pushing forward with research on “thin-layer” or “thin film” solar cells which is expected to make solar energy more affordable and accessible.

WHEN
Research has been ongoing for 4 years.

WHERE
- Durham University is a 175-year-old school in the city of Durham, in the northeast of England about halfway between Manchester and Edinburgh.

WHY
- New materials being tried (copper indium diselenide, cadmium telluride) are more light-absorbing than current materials so it would take less to generate useable amounts of electricity.
- Silicon-based photovoltaic cells are bigger, thicker and more expensive.
- The new materials would allow the cell to be thinner and easier to build into a structure but so far have proven too inefficient to be practical. If perfected, they could spawn a new generation of Building Intergrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) producing cheaper,more easily installed solar energy systems.
- Funding by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
- Solar energy currently provides 1/100 of 1% of Britain’s electricity.
- U.S. researchers like Nate Lewis of CalTech talk about advancing the technology to the point where it can be a roofing shingle or house paint.

Professor Durose displays a small sample of his solar film.

QUOTES
Durose: "One of the main issues in solar energy is the cost of materials and we recognise that the cost of solar cells is slowing down their uptake…If solar panels were cheap enough so you could buy a system off the shelf that provided even a fraction of your power needs you would do it, but that product isn't there at the moment."