International - News: RTI International Develops New Low Cost, High Efficiency Solar Technology. Solar cell research RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Researchers at RTI International have developed a new solar technology that could make solar energy more affordable, and thus speed-up its market adoption. The RTI solar cells are formed from solutions of semiconductor particles, known as colloidal quantum dots, and can have a power conversion efficiency that is competitive to traditional cells at a fraction of the cost.
Solar energy has the potential to be a renewable, carbon-neutral source of electricity but the high cost of photovoltaics – the devices that convert sunlight into electricity – has slowed widespread adoption of this resource. The RTI-developed solar cells were created using low-cost materials and processing techniques that reduce the primary costs of photovoltaic production, including materials, capital infrastructure and energy associated with manufacturing. The technology was recently featured in a paper published in Applied Physics Letters. Product Lines FVG ENERGY. Pumps & Motors - Water Pump, Single Phase Pumps :: V-Guard. Bore Well Submersible Pumps Features.
Solar Power. Solar power shines on photo voltaic panel price crash. Photovoltaic Manufacturing. Markets Combining Optimized Technology With Proven Expertise Photovoltaics or PV is the technology for converting sunlight into electricity. With the increasing concerns about the global climate and with the uncertain sources and prices of oil and other traditional fuels adding economic pressures, the solar power industry has been growing substantially in recent years. According to industry sources, photovoltaic production has been doubling every two years, increasing by an average of 48% per year since 2002, making it the world's fastest-growing energy technology.
In addition to the growth in output, there has also been substantial investment in pioneering new technologies and manufacturing practices in order to reduce the cost of PV and improve material efficiencies. Solar cells, photovoltaic modules and photovoltaic arrays are all assembled components, but a core part of all of these products is the photovoltaic material. Photovoltaics Research - Photovoltaic Manufacturing R&D Project.
BP Solar's manufacturing capabilities include automatic sorting of solar cells after final testing. NREL's Photovoltaic (PV) Manufacturing Research and Development (R&D) Project was a cost-shared partnership between NREL and a number of private-sector solar companies. The primary project goals were to reduce costs for consumers and solar companies by improving products and manufacturing processes and ensure the U.S. solar industry maintained a strong market position in a rapidly expanding global marketplace. NREL and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) initiated the project in 1991 as the Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology (PVMaT) project, a 5-year venture to enhance the U.S. PV industry's leadership in PV manufacturing.
In 2001, NREL extended this highly successful project and renamed it the PV Manufacturing R&D Project. Since its inception, the project issued more than 70 subcontracts to some 40 solar companies. A summary of the project's accomplishments and awards is available.