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Crystal arrangement results in more power from ferroelectric solar cells

pv-magazine.com

11–20 of 86 posts

Re: Crystal arrangement results in more power from ferroelectric solar cells

#11
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article tells you the answer to your question. Search for "1,000". Edit: Apologies, I misread the parent's question. I thought they were saying "1,000 what?". Sorry about the unhelpful answer.

Not 1000x net output since we are in what now, 10-20% efficiency with current available cell technology? That would not make sense.

From one of the comments on the article:

  Ryan Kennedy
  August 6, 2021 at 1:46 am
  Our apologies for not making this clear. The photovoltaic 
  effect was increased by 1000 times compared to previous 
  output achieved from cells made of ferroelectric crystals, 
  not from prevailing solar cells made of silicon or other 
  conventional materials.

Re: Crystal arrangement results in more power from ferroelectric solar cells

#12
post #11
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not 1000x net output since we are in what now, 10-20% efficiency with current available cell technology? That would not make sense.

From one of the comments on the article: Ryan Kennedy August 6, 2021 at 1:46 am Our apologies for not making this clear. The photovoltaic effect was increased by 1000 times compared to previous output achieved from cells made of ferroelectric crystals, not from prevailing solar cells made of silicon or other conventional materials.

Ok, now we just need to know how ferroelectric crystals compare to conventional solar cells to find out what this "1000x" really means...

Re: Crystal arrangement results in more power from ferroelectric solar cells

#13
post #12
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From one of the comments on the article: Ryan Kennedy August 6, 2021 at 1:46 am Our apologies for not making this clear. The photovoltaic effect was increased by 1000 times compared to previous output achieved from cells made of ferroelectric crystals, not from prevailing solar cells made of silicon or other conventional materials.

Ok, now we just need to know how ferroelectric crystals compare to conventional solar cells to find out what this "1000x" really means...

i would guess that they are about 1000x worse than conventional silicon

Re: Crystal arrangement results in more power from ferroelectric solar cells

#15
So, without a p-n junction, then we can break the Shockley–Queisser limit. Which states that in traditional photovoltaic cells you'll never get past 1/3rd efficiency. And until now I didn't even know that ferroelectric absorbers were a thing. Pretty amazing! https://www.nature.com/articles/nphoton.2016.143

Re: Crystal arrangement results in more power from ferroelectric solar cells

#16

Reminds me of my masters research at university. My work was based on hybrid organic-inorganic solar devices based on boron subphthalocyanine chloride and an optimised optical spacer layer. One day, one variation of the type of cell I was producing was over double the output efficiency of what we usually expected. Was exciting until we realised the solar testing rig had been erroneously set to the equivalent output o…

One day… two suns. Talk about playing God. :-)

That sounds like fascinating research.

Re: Crystal arrangement results in more power from ferroelectric solar cells

#17

Reminds me of my masters research at university. My work was based on hybrid organic-inorganic solar devices based on boron subphthalocyanine chloride and an optimised optical spacer layer. One day, one variation of the type of cell I was producing was over double the output efficiency of what we usually expected. Was exciting until we realised the solar testing rig had been erroneously set to the equivalent output o…

> set to the equivalent output of two suns...

I didn't realize we have achieved a Kardashev Type II civilization already :)

Re: Crystal arrangement results in more power from ferroelectric solar cells

#18

I thought solar conversion efficiency was a large fraction already. There's no room for 1000x improvement. Maybe 20%. What is this title talking about?

A similar question was in the comments of the article and reply from the Author:

---

Ralph A Hutton August 6, 2021 at 1:40 am

1000 times? That means a normal size panel ,area about one square meter, that produces 200 watts , would be capable of an output of 200 kW. I look forward to that. I believe, and this needs confirming, the maximum available power from one square meter is about one kW. What have I misunderstood? Reply

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    Ryan Kennedy
    August 6, 2021 at 1:46 am

    Our apologies for not making this clear. The photovoltaic effect was increased by 1000 times compared to previous output achieved from cells made of ferroelectric crystals, not from prevailing solar cells made of silicon or other conventional materials.**

Re: Crystal arrangement results in more power from ferroelectric solar cells

#20
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok, now we just need to know how ferroelectric crystals compare to conventional solar cells to find out what this "1000x" really means...

i would guess that they are about 1000x worse than conventional silicon

Or much worse yet, otherwise the authors could have used clear language.
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