A breakthrough in solar technology could soon make powering homes, offices, and even entire neighborhoods cheaper and easier — all while reducing strain on the energy grid.
As reported in Tech Xplore, a research team at the Autonomous University of Querétaro in Mexico has found a way to boost the efficiency of antimony selenosulfide thin-film solar cells by replacing a key, costly component — hole transport layers — with a new family of materials called triazatruxenes.
These ultrathin panels are already promising because they're lightweight, highly efficient at absorbing sunlight, and made from Earth-abundant elements — but until now, scaling them up has been limited by expensive parts. In simulations, the team tested over 384 design configurations and found that the new material outperformed the standard, hitting more than 23% efficiency in some cases. The team's findings were published in Advanced Theory and Simulations.
Higher efficiency means smaller, lighter panels can produce the same amount of electricity, making it easier for homeowners to fit solar on limited roof space, for cities to install panels on buildings, and for companies to power facilities without relying on the grid. The panels also stayed stable under different temperatures and light levels, which would mean more consistent performance year-round — and fewer spikes on electric bills.
Installing solar panels is the ultimate home energy hack because it can bring your cost of electricity down to or near $0. EnergySage offers a free service that makes it easy to compare quotes from vetted local installers and save up to $10,000 on solar installations. Going solar also makes running other money-saving electric appliances, like heat pumps, even cheaper. Mitsubishi can help you find the right affordable heat pump for your home.
By cutting costs and boosting output, this technology could help more people and businesses switch to clean energy, lower their long-term energy bills, and reduce air pollution that harms public health. Ultimately, that means healthier communities and slowing down the heat-trapping pollution contributing to rising global temperatures and extreme weather events.
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"This study … demonstrates their promise for enabling efficient, stable, and scalable thin-film solar technologies," said researcher Latha Marasamy. "These results provide a valuable direction for future experimental efforts aimed at advancing eco-friendly photovoltaic devices."
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