TU Delft Researchers Increase Energy Output of Silicon Solar Panels

A team of researchers belonging to the TU Delft have demonstrated the way of increasing the energy output of amorphous silicon solar panels that are relatively cheap.

This increase can be from about 7% to 9%. Gijs van Elzakker, a researcher in this project, has concentrated his work on solar panels manufactured from amorphous silicon, rather than crystalline silicon, the more commonly used one. Amorphous silicon gives the advantage of producing comparatively cheaper solar panels by making use of thin silicon layers.

The major disadvantage of amorphous silicon solar panels is that they produce a relatively low yield. When compared to the 18% yield of crystalline silicon, the yield of amorphous silicon stood at 7%. This huge difference can be due to the factor that amorphous silicon panels tend to suffer from the Staebler-Wronski effect. Elzakker has also investigated adaptations that are involved in the production method for raising the yield. Already, the findings of Elzakker are being used on the manufacturing line of the company Inventux Technologies.