How can we increase the efficiency of solar cells?
Question:
Answer:
Every solar cell has a maximum theoretical efficiency. It is a property of that cell, and no matter the conditions it cannot be any higher. The most efficient one, to date, is ~35%. Factoring in material and system limitations, the maximum efficiency we have attained is ~30%.
Unless we find a new combination of materials for a solar cell, efficiency will remain low.
You can't make them any more efficient than they already are without a serious re-engineering of how to capture energy using the rays of the sun. But they could be made cheaper by using more mass-production techniques and economies of scale: if more people were interested in them, they would be cheaper. Best way to do this is to get government interested in being a middleman.
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