Recyclable Solar Cells Could Be The Future

Solar cells are a good thing, as they do their bit to make sure that the world is able to survive on renewable energy, but manufacturing solar cells are not exactly the most eco-friendly method of getting things done due to the kind of toxic waste that is a by-product of the entire process. Well, researchers from Georgia Tech and Purdue might have stumbled upon the Holy Grail, where they managed to create, what is potentially, green technology’s most renewable resource to date. We are referring to solar cells made from trees, now how about that? Not only that, these will be recyclable in something as normal as regular tap water.

Bernard Kippelen, director of Georgia Tech’s Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics, said, “Organic solar cells must be recyclable. Otherwise we are simply solving one problem, less dependence on fossil fuels, while creating another, a technology that produces energy from renewable sources but is not disposable at the end of its lifecycle.” Amazing! These solar cells are capable of converting 2.7% of the energy which it receives into electricity, a figure that was previously unheard of where organic materials are concerned.

Edwin Kee
Categories: Green
Tags: eco-friendly, Solar