Projects Profile
Project Title
High Efficiency Carbon Nanotube Hetero-Junction Solar Cells for Energy Generation
Partnership
Dr Yanqiu Zhu from the University of Nottingham,
Professor Jinquan Wei from Tsinghua University
Project Aim
The aim of the project is to improve the efficiency and to cut down the cost of the novel solar cell jointly developed between University of Nottingham and Tsinghua University It will establish a protocol of manufacturing the solar cells and developing commercial prototypes.
Inspiration for the projects
It is estimated that the global solar electricity market is currently more than $10 billion/year, and associated industries are growing at a speed of more than 30% annually. This project is based on our most recent nanotechnology research development, aiming to help create a ‘green world’ by generating electric energy from the solar energy. The proposed project is to use novel forms of nanomaterials to harvest solar energy with high efficiency and at low-cost.
The University of Nottingham team has established a long collaboration with the Tsinghua team and has been involved in their innovative research in carbon nanotube solar cells. The joint effort with high added value in this project is expected to generate excellent results.
Commercial Potential and Further Development
Traditional applications of solar cells have varied from providing domestic power to powering space crafts. In developing countries, there is a booming industry of small scale electricity supply through solar panels which is cheaper than using diesel generators. Demand for Solar Energy has grown 25 % per annum since the early 1990s. The European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) expects the thin film market share to reach about 20% by 2010 (previously 7% in 2007). Therefore, the commercial potential of this project is extremely high.
