And the winner is...

When talking of efficiency, we cannot ignore records being continuously broken on the solar cell arena. The latest claim for the world’s most efficient solar power cell comes from scientists at the University of New South Wales in Australia, who have concocted a multi-cell combination that converts 43% of sunlight into electricity, beating the previous record of 42.7%.

Yes, even 0.3 % counts. Ask Usain Bolt!

The team used a special silicon cell optimized to harness light at the red and near-infrared end of the light spectrum. When the silicon cell was combined with four other cells made from gallium, indium, phosphorous and arsenic, the scientists were able to reach the magic 43% mark. Far from commercialization, this is still something.

Solar cells could soon be produced more cheaply using nanoparticle “inks” that allow them to be printed like newspaper or painted onto the sides of buildings or rooftops to absorb electricity-producing sunlight.

Brian Korgel, a University of Texas at Austin chemical engineer, is hoping to cut costs to one-tenth of their current price by replacing the standard manufacturing process for solar cells. Korgel is collaborating with professors Al Bard and Paul Barbara, both of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Professor Ananth Dodabalapur of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.

The team used copper indium gallium selenide or CIGS, which is both cheaper and benign than silicon in terms of environmental impact. But efficiencies are at 1 percent and need to be taken to 10 before commercialization. Thin film solar cells have that disadvantage of efficiency but make up in the sparse amounts of material required and hence, reduced costs.

One percent efficiency may look as bad as zero efficiency, but consider if you can paint your rooftop at low cost and generate even a few watts. Something in itself!

Materials and methods hold the key.