Eco Factor: Thin-film organic solar cells with 4.9% efficiency.
Mitsubishi has made sure that its faded-out TFT technology doesn’t go to waste and is reused in some form that can yield better results for them. The company has reused their old technology to develop the newest in solar cells, which they showcased at the PV EXPO 2009. Mitsubishi Chemical utilized an organic semiconductor developed by the company for TFTs in 2006, to develop a thin-film organic solar cell that currently boasts an efficiency of 4.9%.
Presently, the cell is a single-junction cell with one p-n junction. The company intends to use the single-junction approach till these cells reach an efficiency of at least 10% by 2010. Once achieved the company plans to use a tandem solar cells to achieve a conversion efficiency of 15% by 2015.
The Dark Side:
The cells’ efficiency is a cause of worry at present. At 4.9% it’s way below other solar cells available on the market today. We don’t expect Mitsubishi to get any customers till they roll out more efficient cells by 2015.
Via: TechOn
