New solar cell 500x more efficient invented by 12 years old boy

[steven787]

NJ5 said:

steven787 said:
12-15% is efficiency on the light hitting the suface, that are yellow sunlight, and not reflecting off

This is 500 times the total amount per sq in.

The 3D allows for more surface area, meaning more surfaces are available to receive light.
The cells are also able to receive multiple "colors" (light frequencies).

Check out the following article on spectrum efficiency:

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn3145

It seems to me like the best solar cells (Indium gallium nitride apparently) are already using most of the spectrum. But hey, I'm not an expert.

 

 

Those are not retail cells, notice the name of the article: "Solar cells aiming for full spectrum efficiency"

From the text: "It should allow solar cells to jump in efficiency from today's best of 30 per cent to 50 per cent or higher." This means that this is a little less than doubly efficient, 3D surfaces would improve that greatly.

Plus those cells use very delicate crystals that are slow growing and break easily.

I'm pretty sure (but not a scientist) that this kid basically is layering several layers of pretty standard cells that absorb different bands of the spectrum.

 

I'm sure 500 is an exageration.  And like I say on phys org all the time, the problem isn't the cell design it's the manufacturing and price.