The high demand for silicon--the most common material used to make solar cells--keeps the prices of solar panels high, as it represents about 40 percent of the panel price.
In January, GE will launch a line of solar cells that it manufactures itself, starting with a different material. Called a molded wafer, the cells are made out of raw silicon oxide through a "carbo-thermic reduction" process, said Danielle Merced, the leader of solar technologies at GE's Global Research Center.
Typically, silicon blocks are made and then sliced into solar cells. GE's process starts with a silicon powder, which is put into a mold, and defects are cut out, Merced said. The process is cheaper than buying solar-grade silicon, and there's higher utilization of the raw material, she said.
The efficiency of converting sunlight into electricity of its molded wafer cells is about 12 percent, which is lower than most silicon panels. But it allows solar manufacturers to get around the problem of getting sufficient feedstock.
Aided by Department of Energy grants, GE is also working on high-efficiency solar cells that convert 20 percent of the sunlight to electricity. Those cells could be used in more space-constrained places, such as urban areas, Merced said.
Photo by Martin LaMonica/CNET News.com
Caption by Martin LaMonica
