Nanowires Break Limit of Solar Cell Efficiency: The Future of Sustainable Energy

How much energy can we use from the sun's rays? Apparently, we can utilize far more than previously thought. A new study shows that the energy limit is far higher than first believed.

The new study, described in the journal Nature Photonics, studied how to develop and improve the quality of nanowire crystals. These nanowires possess a cylindrical structure and a diameter that's about 10,000 part of a human hair. They hold enormous potential for the development of solar cells and the future of quantum computers and other electronic products.

So how do these nanowires work? They naturally concentrate the sun's rays into a very small area in the crystal that they possess by up to a factor of 15. The nanowire crystal's diameter is smaller than the wavelength of the light coming from the sun. This causes resonances in the intensity of light in and around nanowires. These resonances can concentrate the sunlight and convert it into energy, essentially giving a higher conversion efficiency of the sun's light.

Previously, scientists thought that the efficiency limit of sunlight was far lower. Known as the "Shockley Queisser Limit," it was held as a landmark for solar cell efficiency for many years. Yet with the discovery and development of these nanowires, it seems that the limit is far higher than previously thought.

These scientists didn't make their findings alone, though. Their work supported previous results that were published in the journal Science in January. In that study, a group of researchers showed that the sun's rays were sucked into the nanowires due to the high amount of power that a solar cell produced.

These nanowires could have a huge impact on the future of solar energy. In particular they could allow for the better development of solar cells, exploitation of nanowire solar rays and even the extraction of energy at international levels.

Like many other innovations, though, it will probably be years before we start seeing solar cells created from nanowires. Even so, the use of this technology could herald a new age for sustainable energy, and could help power our homes and businesses in the future.