CSIRO scientists in Newcastle are researching a new type of solar cell which they believe could become a cost-effective building product.
The dye-sensitised cells have an advantage over silicon based cells in that they are cheaper to produce, will work in the shade and can be incorporated into building materials.
Research leader Greg Wilson says his team is working to improve the efficiency and reliability of the cells.
“One of the applications for the dye-sensitised solar cells is in building integration, so into the built environment, into your house,” he said.
“One example is skylights. A typical skylight allows light and heat to come into your house, why not replace that skylight with a dye-sensitised cell?”
“It can increase the ambience of your environment, it collects energy and also reduces the heat that enters the room.”
Doctor Wilson says researchers have already improved the efficiency of the dye-sensitised cells and that will make them more cost-effective to produce.
“We’ve got some initial runs on the board I suppose you could describe them as (successful).”
“We’ve got some new types of structures that look very appealing, they appear to us from our earlier modelling to show that we can have better light absorption than current materials.”
