18th Jun 2019 12:46
(Alliance News) - Clean technology development firm Verditek PLC said Tuesday it has successfully completed its first solar power development project under a partnership with graphene electronics firm Paragraf Ltd.
In late 2017, Verditek and Paragraf agreed a partnership to develop new technology using the potential advantages of graphene to improve output from photovoltaic cells for solar power generation.
On Tuesday, Verditek and Paragraf confirmed they had completed their initial development project. This has successfully produced graphene on photovoltaic proof of concept cells to "harness the superior electrical and mechanical properties that graphene can impart".
"Verditek is now manufacturing light-weight robust photovoltaic cells," Chair David Willetts said. "These can be deployed in many more ways than heavy conventional cells - such as on weaker, temporary, or old roofing. We have now successfully applied graphene to a photovoltaic cell."
"Graphene can enable our PV cells to be even lighter and more efficient," Willetts added. "It enhances the performance of a PV cell by making it more conductive and eliminate the need for the electrical conductors which reduce the area of the cell actually exposed to sun-light. We have now developed the technique for applying graphene and produced a working proof of concept silicon/graphene integrated PV cell."
With this success, the two partners have agreed to move to a second joint development project to improve the performance of these cells as well as develop and file patents before commencing commercial discussions for industrial manufacture.
"We are now launching the next stage of our R&D to increase the performance of these new PV cells so they are more efficient than conventional cells," Willetts continued. "At present conventional silicon PV cells convert approximately 21-23% of the energy they received into electricity. We aim to get to better than 25%."
"That is a big increase in the amount of electricity generated from a given area of PV cell," Willetts added. "Our lightweight and efficient PV cells will then be used in a much wider range of settings. Our aim is to be able to apply them to consumer electronics such as laptops so that they can be self-charging. This is a massive advance for green energy - and for consumers who will find it much easier to access solar power than ever before."
Shares in Verditek were 3.3% higher at 6.98 pence in London on Tuesday.
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