A recent study published in the Advanced Electronic Materials journal has made great strides in investigating the untapped potential of solar panels.
Led by associate professor Yang Bai at the University of Oulu, Finland, the researchers targeted ferroelectric materials and the bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE) as the source of electrical output, rather than semiconductors — the traditional technology used in solar cells. Manipulating BPVE-based cells by applying an electric field in a certain way can improve their electrical output by 35%.
The BPVE phenomenon, according to SolarQuarter, "has the potential to surpass the efficiency limits of traditional semiconductor-based solar cells."
Conventional solar panels rely on certain "junctions" formed within the semiconductor cells to convert sunlight into electrical energy. These junctions significantly limit the efficiency of the energy conversion process.
BPVE-based cells, on the other hand, generate their own "self-junction": a phenomenon that could increase the electrical output of each cell. BPVE technology on its own has a relatively low power output, per SolarQuarter — but Bai's team found that its efficiency shoots up when enhanced by a poling electric field, making BPVE-based cells more practical.
The science behind BPVE was first established in the 1960s and 1970s, wrote Interesting Engineering, but its "real-world applications have been slow to develop." Bai's research is the first to identify how to use BPVE to successfully manipulate ferroelectric crystals to enhance output power and efficiency.
"The findings have potential implications for future photonic, computing, sensing, and energy harvesting devices," reported Lexie Corner of AZoMaterials.
Bai intends to take his team's discovery one step at a time, starting with small-scale devices to test the potential of BPVE technology. Still, with more research and experimentation, his findings may soon make sweeping changes to the solar-cell game.
If scientists and engineers develop BPVE-based solar cells grounded in Bai's research, annual energy savings for solar panel owners could skyrocket. Conventional solar panels already save users up to $1,500 in utilities, plus another $4,600 in tax benefits, on average. With BPVE-based cells that yield even more electricity with cutting-edge efficiency, users will likely save even more on utilities — all while reducing their carbon outputs and helping combat the changing climate.
The increased savings potential of BPVE cell technology may incentivize more individuals to go solar. As battling the changing climate requires a collective effort, the more we opt for renewable-energy alternatives to dirty-fuel power sources, the better.
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