Solar3D Reports 10% Power Increase

The latest prototype from 3-D solar cell technology developer Solar3D Inc. has produced nearly 10 percent more power than its predecessor, the company announced Tuesday.

The initial 2012 prototype design was calculated to produce just over 25 percent efficiency using wide-angle light collection, enabling electricity generation throughout more times of the day and seasons. Current technology is most effective for a few hours in the middle of the day.

The working, proof-of-concept prototype uses thinner silicon, yielding less waste and more efficiency — almost 10 percent more power than the original prototype, said Director of Technology Changwan Son. “And by fine-tuning the three-dimensional light collecting structures in our solar cell, we are able to collect even more light at wider angles than the original version.”

“The new prototype moves us closer to our goal of completing a commercial prototype for pilot manufacturing runs. It also confirms our hypothesis that there is still more power to extract from silicon,” said CEO Jim Nelson. “As we push the limits of solar conversion in silicon, it is becoming clear that our wide-angle collection feature is the new way to get more electricity out by collecting more light in. We believe the combination of high efficiency and wide-angle collection is the key to lowering the cost-per-watt of silicon solar cells and the widespread adoption of solar technology.”

For more information, visit: www.solar3d.com