14 DAY TRIAL // During the past few years, both scientists and ordinary people dedicated to environmental cause have been making quite a big fuss about how we should all change our ways and use solar energy to power our homes and even our rides.
However, there is one small detail that seems to have been left out up until now: the typical Grätzel photovoltaic cell, which stands at the core of all proper and functional solar panels and which uses an organic liquid as its electrolyte.
Now, the very definition of liquids lets us know that such substances really get a kick out of flowing. This means that, under certain conditions, your average solar cell might find itself leaking.
Such leakages not only lead to the cell being corroded sooner or later, but they can also make their way into the surrounding environment, causing the very things that solar cells are supposed to prevent in the first place: pollution.
However, it seems that researchers have recently come up with a solution to this relatively unknown, yet persistent problem, reports ecofriend.com.
Scientists working at the Northwestern University in Switzerland have developed a new substance, called CsSnI3, which is likely to become quite popular in the solar panels industry in the not too distant future, as its main characteristic is the fact that it can instantly solidify liquids.
Robert Chang, one of the leading researchers taking part in this study, claims that when all is said and done, solar cells will be of a solid-state, dye-sensitized type.
Not only will these new solar cells break down less often, but they will also display a higher efficiency and will cost less to produce.
With solar energy being one of the leading clean energy sources in the modern world, we can only be gladdened by the fact that science is still working towards improving the findings already made in this particular domain, and that it is quite likely that soon enough greener green technologies will be designed and implemented.