As the internet of things gains momentum, it is expected that we will need to have millions of products online, both in public spaces and in homes. As a result, the global demand for energy will also rise, precipitating a need for smaller and cheaper sources of renewable power. This is where a recent development in organic solar cell technology comes in.
Organic solar cells have long been touted for their exceptional properties, such as being flexible, cheap to manufacture, and able to absorb light of different wavelengths. Recently, however, Swedish and Chinese researchers have managed to optimize the technology so that it is able to absorb wavelengths of light that surround us in our living rooms, at the library, and in the supermarket and turn it into electricity.
The researchers developed solar cells that had an efficiency of converting as much as 26.1 percent of the light energy into electricity. That’s nearly double the efficiency at which conventional solar panels operate.
While more work is needed to commercialize the product at the moment, the findings show a great promise for organic solar cells to power our everyday electronics.
