Bridget Klebaur 05.09.13
Dyesol has achieved a "game changing" technical breakthrough by achieving a solid-state dye solar cell (DSC) efficiency of 11.3% at full sun.
The breakthrough comes as the technology transitions from liquid-based to solid-state systems to meet the demands of product life and mass manufacture. The variation in technology, known as mesoscopic solar cells, meets the technical challenges of mass manufacturing building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) products, and will allow Dyesol and its multi-national commercialization partners to confidently address the multi-billion dollar global market.
In 2010, solid-state DSC performance was at a mere 5%, significantly lagging the performance of liquid-based systems. However, Dyesol, through the work of its scientist Dr. Peng Qin, based at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, has achieved solid-state DSC laboratory efficiency of 11.3%.
Dyesol is also confident of achieving industrial efficiencies greater than 10% because of the added simplicity of working with solid-state systems. At this level of module performance, the technology will be grid competitive - the "holy grail" for renewable energy technologies.
This achievement is particularly important in solar markets where light conditions are sub-optimal, such as Europe, North America and North East Asia, where Dyesol technology has a considerable advantage over first- and second-generation photovoltaic technologies.
. However there is every reason to question which technologies will emerge from the current solar industry maelstrom as winners,” Dyesol chairman Richard Caldwell said. “Today's announcement represents a quantum leap for Dyesol and its’ commercialization partners, and we look forward to a rapid transition from the laboratory to the production line."
Dyesol has been working closely with R&D partner, the EPFL, and is confident of announcing further improvements in solid-state performance in the near term.
The breakthrough comes as the technology transitions from liquid-based to solid-state systems to meet the demands of product life and mass manufacture. The variation in technology, known as mesoscopic solar cells, meets the technical challenges of mass manufacturing building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) products, and will allow Dyesol and its multi-national commercialization partners to confidently address the multi-billion dollar global market.
In 2010, solid-state DSC performance was at a mere 5%, significantly lagging the performance of liquid-based systems. However, Dyesol, through the work of its scientist Dr. Peng Qin, based at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, has achieved solid-state DSC laboratory efficiency of 11.3%.
Dyesol is also confident of achieving industrial efficiencies greater than 10% because of the added simplicity of working with solid-state systems. At this level of module performance, the technology will be grid competitive - the "holy grail" for renewable energy technologies.
This achievement is particularly important in solar markets where light conditions are sub-optimal, such as Europe, North America and North East Asia, where Dyesol technology has a considerable advantage over first- and second-generation photovoltaic technologies.
. However there is every reason to question which technologies will emerge from the current solar industry maelstrom as winners,” Dyesol chairman Richard Caldwell said. “Today's announcement represents a quantum leap for Dyesol and its’ commercialization partners, and we look forward to a rapid transition from the laboratory to the production line."
Dyesol has been working closely with R&D partner, the EPFL, and is confident of announcing further improvements in solid-state performance in the near term.