Solar power: Making it less expensive and more efficient

University of Cincinnati researchers are reporting early results on a way to make solar-powered panels in lights, calculators and roofs lighter, less expensive, more flexible (therefore less breakable) and more efficient. Researchers are experimenting with adding a small fraction of graphene nanoflakes to polymer-blend bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells to improve performance and lower costs of solar energy. "There has been a lot of study on how to make plastic solar cells more efficient, so they can take the place of silicon solar cells in the future," says Yu, Fei Yu, a University of Cincinnati doctoral student. "They can be made into thinner, lighter and more flexible panels. However, they're currently not as efficient as silicon solar cells, so we're examining how to increase that efficiency." read more → - See more at: http://www.eai.in/360/news/pages/12115#sthash.CZfTEoHf.dpuf