Solar Cells Made From Trees Can Be Recycled - In Just A Few Minutes

It's no wonder that as we continue to eat up all the fossil fuels, the time has come that we figure out the most efficient ways to tap the solar energy. Scientists at the Georgia Tech Institute Of Technology & Purdue University have teamed to develop recyclable solar cells from cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) substrates. The biggest advantages of such solar cells is that once they reach the end of life, they can be recycled in water in just a few minutes. The team reports that their solar cells offers 2.7% conversion efficiency - something that was never achieved before for cells on substrates derived from natural sources.


The CNC substrates are transparent allowing the light rays to pass through them where a thin layer of organic semiconductor absorbs them. The team is now aiming to improve the conversion efficiency to 10% - which is currently possible with solar cells fabricated on glass or petroleum-based substrates. The issue, however, with the glass substrates is that if the solar cell breaks - the waste material is difficult to dispose off. The cellulose nonmaterial based substrates, on the other hand, can be recycled by sinking them in water for a few minutes.


The team has already applied for patent and the application is currently being reviewed by the USPTO.

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