New solar cell promises manufacturing gains / Nuova cella solare promette guadagni nella sua produzione
New solar cell promises manufacturing gains / Nuova cella solare promette guadagni nella sua produzione Segnalato dal Dott. Giuseppe Cotellessa / Reported by Dr. Joseph Cotellessa (Credit: ICFO) Researchers at the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) have developed a new type of solar cell based on AgBiS2 nanocrystals, which has potential manufacturing advantages over current solar materials. Common solar cells found on rooftops or in solar farms are typically made from silicon. But their production can be energy intensive, and silicon cells are generally heavy and difficult to transport. Many alternative thinner film cells use toxic element such as cadmium, or contain scarce elements such as indium or tellurium. In contrast, the semi-transparent AgBiS2 cells use non-toxic, earth-abundant elements, produced in ambient conditions. This combination should make them both greener and safer than current technologies. “A very interesting feature of AgBiS2 sol