Cheap solar panels of "bad" silicon promising new method

A new method that dramatically improves the properties of low-quality silicon and promises significant efficiency gains and a corresponding reduction in the cost of photovoltaic engineers developed by the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia.The research team discovered a mechanism for exchange of hydrogen atoms in order to succeed in fixing flaws in the structure of silicon, by far the most expensive material used in the manufacture of solar cells."This method will allow the solar cell manufacturing from cheap low grade silicon with yields higher than those achieved with expensive materials" says Stuart Wenham from the School of Engineering of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy UNSW.Solar panels take advantage of the light energy (photons) emitted by the sun produce electricity through the photovoltaic effect. The majority of cells made from silicon wafers or thin film cells (thin film) of cadmium telluride or silicon.The average efficiency of conventional silicon cells is 19%, while the top product yields traded reach 20.1% lower than those obtained in the laboratory.With the new technique scientists UNSW aspire to achieve efficienciency of 21-23%.Scientists have known for decades that the hydrogen atoms when inserted in the atomic structure of silicon correcting flaws and shortcomings, but until recently had not managed to control the process and to understand in depth the mechanism.UNSW scientists have attempted to control the load condition to hydrogen atoms (positive, negative, neutral) and is forming the hydrogen motion around the silicon and its reactivity, which is the important factor correction of imperfections.As Wenham says "10,000 times improvement over the mobility of hydrogen and were able to check the chemical ties with impurities and defects in silicon so as to hibernate."