Sanyo Unveils World’s Most Efficient Solar Module HIT-N230

by Yuka Yoneda

Electronics giant Sanyo recently announced the development of what they are claiming is the world’s most efficient solar module. Called the HIT-N230, the new module has an impressive energy conversion efficiency of 20.7% which is unprecedented in the market.

How did Sanyo achieve this feat? According to Akihabara News’ report, the leader in solar module manufacturing increased the number of solar cell tabs from 2 to 3 and made each tab thinner. They also applied AG coated glass, which allows “light trapping” or reduction of reflection and scattering of light.
While the N230 is getting the most attention for its high efficiency, Sanyo has another model in the N series – the N225 (225W) – and both are scheduled to be launched in Japan in Autumn 2010.

New Quantum Dot Photovoltaics Could Double Solar Cell Efficiency

by Cameron Scott

You’ve heard the statistic: enough solar power hits the Earth in an hour to meet our energy needs for an entire year. The trick is harnessing it. Today’s solar cells make use of just under a third of the energy hitting them, overheating to create “hot electrons” that escape before they can be converted into electricity. A study published in this week’s Science demonstrates a new type of solar technology could harness quantum dots to convert two-thirds of the sun’s energy into electrical power.

   

The technology utilizes semiconductor nanocrystals, or “quantum dots” — which slow the cooling of hot electrons to create time to grab them — and a titanium dioxide conductor to accomplish the task. A previous study pioneered the use of quantum dots to slow the electrons’ cooling. The recently documented breakthrough is significant for its use of an inexpensive titanium dioxide “wire.”
Besides taking the discovery from theoretical science into practical engineering, one big problem still remains: hot electrons also lose their energy as they travel along the wire.