IIT-Hyderabad improves 3rd generation solar cell performance

: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Hyderabad Monday said its researchers have developed a process to improve the performance of third-generation solar cells.

Working with dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSC), the researchers have shown that the incorporation of magnetic nanoparticles in the anode can enhance light-to-power conversion efficiencies, a press release from the institute said.

This work has been published in the journal Solar Energy.

There is much potential for dye sensitised solar cells because of cost and environmental benefits and it is expected that with improvements in performance, DSSCs could outdo mature silicon-based solar cells, the release said.

Such research can contribute towards global efforts to bring DSSCs into real-life applications, it said.

The research is being headed by J Suryanarayana, associate professor, Magnetic Materials and Device Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, IIT-Hyderabad.

Speaking about his research, Suryanarayana said the first-generation silicon-based cells, with energy harvesting efficiency of about 26 per cent, continues to be costly.

He said the second-generation thin film solar cells based on semiconductors have comparable efficiencies, and not much lower cost.

The associate professor said the third-generation of dye-sensitised solar cells can significantly lower costs of solar cells while being environmentally-friendlier than earlier generations, but their efficiencies need improvement to translate to practical products.