Copyright © 2005 David Monniaux
As of September 24th, 2013 there is a new world record for solar cell efficiency. The scientists of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Soitec, CEA-Leti and the Helmholtz Center Berlin jointly announced that they have developed a new solar cell which converts, “44.7% of the solar spectrum’s energy, from ultraviolet through to the infrared, into electrical energy.” This new breakthrough pushes the scientific community one step closer to its goal of 50% efficiency.
The new cells are used in concentrator photovoltaics which are twice as efficient as the conventional PV power plants. The reason for the increased efficiency is the so-called III-V multi-junction solar cells which are made of of several different solar cells which absorb different wavelength ranges of the solar spectrum.
This new development in the field of alternative energy is incredibly important in our current energy crisis. The native country of the scientists from this section is the leading country in the world with regards to solar energy. Germany as a nation is devoted to making solar energy and other renewable energy sources their only source of electricity by 2050. This German renewable resource initiative is quite ahead of our own. What do you think about the future of using renewable resources and the goals of countries like Germany who hope to end their reliance on fossil fuels within the next half century?
katnizz
I agree biolivcious! German’s initiative toward alterative energy is incredible! Here is another article that talks about the little direct sunlight available for the Germans and how countries with even more accessibility to light could be extremely successful!
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/08/22/2508191/germany-solar-generation-record/
biolivcious
I am impressed the German initiative towards alternative energy. Here is an article about their motivations which I find very forward thinking: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2013/10/3-reasons-germans-are-going-renewable-at-all-costs