The University of Otago has joined an international effort to develop a more affordable solar cell. It is hoped the new solar cell, which could be used in products including panels, will make solar power more affordable as the world faces a future with dwindling supplies of oil. Chemistry department researcher Associate Prof Jim McQuillan has been working with scientists around the world, including the inventor, Prof Michael Graetzel, of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, on developing the cell. He was also working with Israeli Professor David Cahen, of the Weizmann Institute, who is visiting Dunedin. The cell used titanium dioxide instead of the usual silicon, Prof McQuillan said.
Titanium dioxide is relatively inexpensive and widely produced.
It is used as filler in products ranging from white paint to sunscreen cream. Combined with a red dye and sandwiched between two plates of glass, the new type of cell absorbs energy from the sun and creates electricity. Prof Quillan's research has been to look at the bonding process between the red dye and the titanium dioxide. Knowing better how the bonding works will enable researchers to find a cheaper dye, among other things. Prof Cahen said finding a cheaper source of sustainable energy was important not only because oil, the world's main heating supply, was running out, but because of the environmental damage caused by carbon dioxide emissions.