Solar Cells From Bio-Materials

"Solar cells based on Gr¿tzel type cells are proposed. These solar cells will use bio-chemically derived dyes and polymer layers, and thus will be environmentally safe. The proposed solar cells will use renewable materials to provide renewable energy. Thesolid-state thin-film structure of the cells will allow incorporation into textiles to enable their integration into tents, back packs, clothing and other field portable equipment. The target efficiency is 12%, comparable to the best current Gr¿tzel(liquid) systems. World solar cell production and use is growing at about 20% per year. Nevertheless, only about 0.02% of U.S. electrical energy is generated from solar cells. The key limitation to greater usage is cost. Solar modules now cost between$4/W and $6/W. Because the proposed cells use low cost materials and simple construction the cost will be significantly lower than silicon or thin-film inorganic cells. Costs of $1-2/W may be possible, even at current solar cell production volumes. It isanticipated that such a cost reduction would drive additional and faster market penetration. The development of light weight, flexible cells would allow their use in portable equipment as a replacement for or supplement to batteries. The proposed solarcells could directly replace existing units for roof-top or stand-alone installation. Environmental benefits are also anticipated. Replacement of 1 kW/hr of fossile-electric with solar-electric power eliminates roughly two pounds of carbon dioxideemission."