Iron pyrites to use in solar cells

Many costly materials like silicon and complex thin films have been using in solar panels for quite some time, but now bounteous materials like iron pyrite (also known as fool’s gold) will be use in solar cells to make them more cost effective.

Researchers from the University of California tested 23 potential semi-conducting materials and found that nearly 12 out of them could prove helpful to meet the demand of energy globally.

Among these 12, nine seemed to provide considerable savings when compared with crystalline silicon that is usually used in solar panels.

Cyrus Wadia, the lead author of the study, says: “We have been looking for some new materials for quite some time, as many people believe that solar will become a leading energy source in the coming days. However, we have to turn our attention when we consider the feasibilities of some solar dominated energy system.”

Different thin films and silicon are quite well-known materials that are used in solar panels these days. Copper indium and cadmium telluride are used to make thin films.

It takes considerable amounts to mass produce and process silicon, but thin films are easier and cheaper than silicon for mass production, but if they are scaled up in technologies, they would quickly eat out our natural resources.

The researchers found that iron pyrites can prove a better alternative to produce solar panels in cost as well as abundance.

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Tags: complex thin films, crystalline silicon, iron pyrite, silicon, solar cells