Transparent solar cells' can take us towards a new era of personalized energy

Incheon National University

Today, the imminent climate change crisis demands a shift from conventionally used fossil fuels to efficient sources of green energy. This has led to researchers looking into the concept of "personalized energy," which would make on-site energy generation possible. For example, solar cells could possibly be integrated into windows, vehicles, cellphone screens, and other everyday products. But for this, it is important for the solar panels to be handy and transparent. To this end, scientists have recently developed "transparent photovoltaic" (TPV) devices -- transparent versions of the traditional solar cell. Unlike the conventionally dark, opaque solar cells (which absorb visible light), TPVs make use of the "invisible" light that falls in the ultraviolet (UV) range.

Source: Bloomberg.com

Conventional solar cells can be either "wet type" (solution based) or "dry type" (made up of metal-oxide semiconductors). Of these, dry-type solar cells have a slight edge over the wet-type ones: they are more reliable, eco-friendly, and cost-effective. Moreover, metal-oxides are well-suited to make use of the UV light. Despite all this, however, the potential of metal-oxide TPVs has not been fully explored until now.

To this end, researchers from Incheon National University, Republic of Korea, came up with an innovative design for a metal-oxide-based TPV device. They inserted an ultra-thin layer of silicon (Si) between two transparent metal-oxide semiconductors with the goal of developing an efficient TPV device. These findings were published in a study in Nano Energy, which was made available online on August 10, 2020 (ahead of the scheduled final publication in the December 2020 issue). Prof Joondong Kim, who led the study, explains, "Our aim was to devise a high-power-producing transparent solar cell, by embedding an ultra-thin film of amorphous Si between zinc oxide and nickel oxide."

@Peter Gonzalez

This novel design consisting of the Si film had three major advantages. First, it allowed for the utilization of longer-wavelength light (as opposed to bare TPVs). Second, it resulted in efficient photon collection. Third, it allowed for the faster transport of charged particles to the electrodes. Moreover, the design can potentially generate electricity even under low-light situations (for instance, on cloudy or rainy days). The scientists further confirmed the power-generating ability of the device by using it to operate the DC motor of a fan.

Based on these findings, the research team is optimistic that the real-life applicability of this new TPV design will soon be possible. As for potential applications, there are plenty, as Prof Kim explains, "We hope to extend the use of our TPV design to all kinds of material, right from glass buildings to mobile devices like electric cars, smartphones, and sensors." Not just this, the team is excited to take their design to the next level, by using innovative materials such as 2D semiconductors, nanocrystals of metal-oxides, and sulfide semiconductors. As Prof Kim concludes, "Our research is essential for a sustainable green future -- especially to connect the clean energy system with no or minimal carbon footprint."

Marc Rosen on World Environment Day, 2020: Ramping up Renewable Energy for Sustainable Economic Growth

Marc A. Rosen, Ph.D., a Professor at University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa, Canada speaks on Ramping up Renewable Energy for Sustainable Ec...

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Summary of the Event

The event kicked off at 7am GMT with a morning yoga video performed by Adriene.The Virtual Symposium hosted over 25 renowned sustainability leaders, environmentalists, researchers, specialists on health, botanic conservation, resource management sustainable agriculture and building from around the world. Speaker such as Jeffrey Sachs, Adenike Akinsemolu, Marc Rosen, amongst others share their insights on our path towards sustainable development.

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LISTEN TO PODCAST

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Marc A. Rosen, Ph.D., is a Professor at University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa, Canada, where he served as founding Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Segun Adaju is the CEO, BlueOcean Nigeria and Consultant/ Financial Advisor to SolarNigeria Programme funded by DfID. Segun has provided expert services as a consultant.

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Q & A (SELECTED)

Segun Adaju: How can multinational corporations ramp up renewable energy in developing countries and what government policies could incentivize the transition of multinational corporations to renewable energy?

Marc Rosen: In many ways they are really well suitors to help multinationals by the nature of their work, do a lot of work and when they are involved in energy and renewable energies they bring strong expertise to the table. The expertise will develop the expertise that makes the biggest economic profit for them at that time. But once they have that expertise it is easy to extend it, to share it, to use it in other places where it wouldn’t have been a first choice. Multinationals can take new technologies development like solar, wind, the new geothermal, and apply in different areas where they do work, have relations and find ways to make those technologies work. They could maybe find ways to make economic implements that works or maybe environmental incentive that makes more sense to take advantage of those and tailor the work they have done in one country to work in another.

Governments need to help in government policies. They need to have incentives where it’s in the long term interest of the country to have renewable energies but maybe short term difficult like prices making it not economically useful or beneficial right now but in the next 20 years that won’t be the case and we want these renewable energies to come on board. Equally in terms of issues like Climate Change, the more the government can do to allow sharing of credits for work done.

Segun Adaju: What is the role of private investment in accelerating the growth of renewable energy?

Marc Rosen: In some ways it extends on the previous answer. Private investment is interesting. Dealing with companies big and small, they are much more careful because it is their money, they don’t want to put their money out unless there is something beneficial coming back to them, otherwise they can’t answer to their bosses, owners or stakeholders depending on how the structure of the companies is set up. When it comes to helping, private companies are also very good at looking for the beneficial opportunities so that their consent make sense for them and they don’t need to worry about the world or country, they look for their own interests and they often have unique features where certain renewable energies make sense. It might be a type of renewable energy in a particular environment and the private company is suited to say we see an opportunity for us.

Private companies can often look for revenue for at most 2 years for an investment when they are willing and this is not easy looking long term but where they see investment pays off for 5 or 10 years which is often necessary for renewable energy resources that have larger front capital cost. Private companies can decide that we are willing to wait, we see the investment benefit and understand the benefit for the company and they can move quite aggressively on opportunities where they think it is the long-term interests for the company.

Segun Adaju: Dr. Akinsemolu in The Principles of Green and Sustainability Science enumerated emerging renewable energy technologies to include; solar glass, thorium nuclear reactors, cellulosic ethanol, space-based solar power, and fuel-cell electric vehicles. How can these technologies be subsidized, and their scalability increased?

Marc Rosen: I have read Dr. Akinsemolu’s book and I found it actually very fascinating, incredible good book and I enjoyed it very much. She does points out those emerging technologies and some of those are the toughest. I think they need subsidizes, researching development to bring them to commercial potential. All of these have a worth benefit and are worth looking at, the researches is how we look at them and determine whether the negatives kill them or outweigh them in the long run or whether the positive prevail and the negative can be off set, may have been somehow managed. Then we look at scalability, can we commercialize it, make many of them, drive the prices down and have many implementation sites (that is different countries that find them beneficial). And with that I think that subsidizes are needed for renewable energies not infinite but have to be proportional to the benefits of these technologies present and where they don’t plan out, the subsidize from ancient can be cut off but where they have huge benefits we need to create a commercial market. Of course subsidize maybe necessary but that’s a standard way for the government to kick start any new technology that shows benefits for the society.

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Quote

“When it comes to energy, there is no perfect solution,if there was… we would have taken advantage of it and everybody would have been using it 100%... ”

— Marc Rosen

“ When it comes to helping, private companies are also very good at looking for the beneficial opportunities..,”

— Marc Rosen

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FURTHER READING

S K Sansaniwal, K Pal, Marc Rosen, S K Tyagi. (2017). Recent advances in the development of biomass gasification technology: A comprehensive review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

Marc Rosen. (2012). Exergy: energy, environment and sustainable development. Newnes

Marc Rosen, I Dincer, M Kanoglu. (2008). Role of exergy in increasing efficiency and sustainability and reducing environmental impact. Energy policy

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The Green Campus Initiative Features in the Nigeria Alternative Energy Expo 2016

Since 2010, the Nigeria Alternative Energy Expo (#NAEE2016) has provided a platform with a view of sharing experiences on decentralized renewable and alternative energy systems, finding and implementing solutions to energy access challenges in Nigeria, and increasing opportunities for both formal and informal dialogue among government representatives, pan-African organizations, policy makers, MDA’s, researchers, academia, manufacturers, investors, civil societies, and consumers. This year’s edition (the 6th edition) which was held at the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Conference Centre, Abuja, from the 14th – 16th October was co-hosted by the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Power, Sustainable Energy Practitioners Associations of Nigeria (SEPAN), and the African SustainableEnergy Association (ASEA).

Themed, “Embracing renewable energy to tackle Nigeria’s economic challenges”, #NAEE2016 attracted speakers, panelists, and facilitators who all had professional and personal experiences and interests that provided them with unique credentials to be listened to.  Take for example, the French Ambassador to Nigeria; HE Denys Gauer, who called for effective collaboration between sectors, the Finland Ambassador to Nigeria; HE Pirjo Suomela-Chowdhury, who harped on moral attitude for sustainability, the CEO of DARE; Professor Yahaya Ahmed, who walked participants through the UNFCC and the Save 80 cooking system that does not contribute to Indoor Air Pollution (IAP), and the Head, Africa-EU Energy Partnership; Engr. Ina-de-Visser who highlighted the need to support market development for mesoscale renewable energy technologies in Nigeria and Africa. With over twenty-two manufacturers in renewable energy sector exhibiting their products and services, the Expo also focused on the achievement of the Sustainable Developmental Goals, SDGs.

Engaging University Students for a Sustainable and Better Future

Strong advocates and recommendations by relevant climate and environmental groups have continuously raised the need for real capacity building for universities, especially those in Africa. #NAEE2016 responded to this for the first time and took a step further to engage and empower Nigerian undergraduate students, so as to enhance their contribution to sustainable development and social transformation. This was done in partnership with The Green Campus Initiative, GCI – Nigeria’s leading and first campus-based environmental advocacy organization with a presence in thirty-eight (38) universities across the country. This step was guided by the realities facing students in environmental and social sciences, and those that have sufficient reason for interest in the renewable energy sector, and anchored in the belief that students are forces of equality and good governance, catalysts for global consensus building; and essential resources for sustainable development and poverty eradication.

Adenike Akinsemolu; Founder of GCI and Board member of SEPAN, led GCI Universities Ambassadors and Associates to the expo, where they had a session on the second day that comprised of a plenary and an oral presentation. Tagged, “The World is Going Green, Are You?”, and moderated by Owoeye Abolade; a Public Health expert and Environmental Biologist with the Federal University of Technology Akure, those on the plenary were Dr. Segun Adaju; CEO of Consistent Energy and Global Advisor to GCI, Dr. Amina Batagarawa; an Architecture Lecturer with Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and Global Advisor to GCI, Hamzat Lawal of Connected Development, CODE, and Ibrahim Majidadi; a Law Student of ABU Zaria. The epoch-making plenary and oral presentation which was done by Odunayo Ayodeji; a Mathematics Student of Adeyemi College of Education, focused on discussions about the SDGs in Nigeria, effective participation of youths and students, meaningful equity of policies, engagement at all levels of decision-making, and the works ofThe Green Campus Initiative across Nigerian universities.

The highpoint of GCI’s session was the recitation of the Green Pledge where all participants promised to live more sustainable and teach others on how to. The organizers and delegates present affirmed they learned a lot during their feedback comments. Also, they shared the thoughts of the outcomes of the plenary that real actions need to be done to make sure young people and student advocates are supported with finance, mentorship, and resources as 80% of students that completed the event registration online could not attend due to inadequate funds for travel and accommodation. Notwithstanding, #NAEE2016 engagement is a good indicator that the Nigerian society is preparing students to become competent innovators and leaders that would shape the renewable energy, environmental and power sector.

After the session, students were led on an excursion to the Green Estate in Garki, Abuja. The estate, a first of its kind in Nigeria, is reputed to have been running on solar and wind energy sources for the past 18 months, and is completely off the national power grid! The laudable project sets a standard for the feasibility of alternative energy in Nigeria and the promises of delivering on the climate action mandate in support of a sustainable world.

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OGHENECHOVWEN, Oghenekevwe Christopher is an Ambassador of GCI and a third year BTech Student of Meteorology and Climate Science (FUTA). For more information, please contact greenthecampus@gmail.com or tweet to @c_chovwen