Solaris Nanosciences has
demonstrated a completely rechargeable dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC or
Graetzel Cell) creating the lowest manufacturing cost, long-life photovoltaic
system in the world. DSSCs which are based on low cost materials and simple
construction, have to date suffered from limited operating lifetimes due to
the degradation of the sensitizer dyes.
Solaris' nontoxic chemical process allows the degraded dye in already
installed DSSCs to be removed and replaced with new dye, restoring the
performance of the original solar cell. "This low cost process, which can be
performed by the existing base of heating and air conditioning businesses,
requires less than thirty minutes and takes the operating life of these
photovoltaics (PV) beyond that of silicon to over 30 years," said Nabil M.
Lawandy, CEO of Solaris Nanosciences. Lawandy also stated, "Not only can we
replace the original dye, but we have shown that newer, more efficient dyes,
resulting from ongoing efforts worldwide, can be used in recharging. This
effectively allows for efficiency upgrades over the life of the installed
system."
The recharging process and its performance were independently confirmed at
the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne where DSSCs were invented
by Professor Michael Graetzel. "Our evaluation has shown without any doubt
that the cell performance after three coloration cycles remained intact and
could even be pushed beyond the initial cell output..." said Professor
Graetzel, whose group performed the study. Professor Graetzel also said "The
procedure developed by Solaris Nanosciences is the first to accomplish a rapid
and complete replenishment of the sensitizer and electrolyte. This has
important implications for the long-life applications of the dye sensitized
solar cells. This solution provides an elegant way to maintain for a very
long time the conductive glass shell structure of the cell serving as current
collector. This is the part of the DSSC that is most expensive and has the
largest energy content. Thus, the new Solaris Nanosciences process saves
costs and energy, avoiding the waste of materials and the recycling problem
that other competing PV technologies must face."
"Professor Graetzel's confirmation of our process is an important
validation, both for the Company and the entire PV community. Solaris has
effectively created the solar cell analogue of the rechargeable lithium-ion
battery developed by Sony, forever transforming that industry," said Lawandy.
Solaris plans to develop a large scale prototype of its rechargeable solar
cell for testing at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and with
corporate partners to explore the distribution of this new PV technology
through the building and construction industry.
http://www.solarisnano.com/
Posted 31st August 2005
