Innovalight, a California based early stage company, which specializes in developing ultra low-cost thin-film solar power modules based on a propriety silicon-ink process, has developed crystalline silicon solar cells with liquid.
How does Innovalight do it?
This company essentially creates silicon nanoparticles, inserts them into a solvent, and then pours the solvent on a substrate. The solvent is then extracted. What is left can sort of be analogized to a snowflake or a large sugar cube: a highly organized structure made up of tiny parts.
For those who are not aware, crystalline solar cells are more efficient than thin films. Commercial crystalline panels can convert an amazing 22 percent of sunlight into electricity (without concentrators).
If it is so energy-efficient why no other companies have tried to produce them? Well, making crystalline solar cells is expensive. In fact the patterning and other processes is similar to what is used in making LCD panels.
Innovalight hopes to cut costs by almost 50 percent. I sincerely hope they manage to do it, in future who knows even the cost of LCD screens may go down! Though CEO Conrad Burke, said,
the company is solely focused on solar cells, which will be available in the second half of 2009.
I hope more companies follow Innovalight’s example of leveraging the advantages of solvent-based processing and developing economical solar power solutions for residential and commercial applications.
