Inkjet printers could alter solar energy industry

Who would have thought that inkjet printers, a relatively low-cost technology which has brought about changes in home and small office printing, might soon be able to lower the overall cost of harnessing solar energy? Engineers over at Oregon State University managed to discover a method to develop successful “CIGS” (copper, indium, gallium and selenium elements) solar devices with inkjet printing, where it will reduce raw material waste by 90% while significantly lowering the cost of producing solar energy cells through the use of very promising compounds.

According to the scientists and engineers, this new method might result in high performing, rapidly produced, ultra-low cost, thin film solar electronics. Of course, additional research needs to be done to increase the efficiency of the cell, but such work will pave the way for a whole new generation of solar energy technology.

According to Chih-hung Chang, an OSU professor in the School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, “This is very promising and could be an important new technology to add to the solar energy field. Until now no one had been able to create working CIGS solar devices with inkjet technology.”

Good luck, guys.

Edwin Kee
Categories: Green
Tags: Solar, solar cell