Which are the most efficient and economical new materials for renewable energy systems?
The materials that are currently used for renewable energy systems are either too expensive or not efficient enough. For example, conventional solar panels are made from costly crystalline silicon. One alternative is titanium dioxide, a substance that is also used in toothpaste. However, the efficiency of this type of solar cell still needs to be improved. The solution lies in new better and cheaper materials.
How is TU Delft contributing?
Materials for batteries
At present, a lithium-ion battery is the smallest and lightest way of storing as much rechargeable electrical energy as possible. However, there is limited scope for improving charging and discharging times owing to the long distance that the lithium ions have to travel through the electrode material.
The scientific challenge lies in reducing the size of the electrode particles. Researchers working with the RID experimental reactor have discovered that this scaling down radically changes the structural properties of the material. Based on their findings, it is now possible to predict how the process that has been dubbed ‘nanostructuring’ will affect the performance of lithium-ion batteries. This should ultimately result in Li-ion batteries with a greater storage capacity and improved performance. See also NanoStructured Materials.
Materials for solar energy
| Solar power is around 10 times more expensive than conventionally sourced energy. This is due to the material that is used: crystalline silicon. If solar power is to be competitive with other sources of energy, new types of solar cell are needed with higher efficiency and lower production costs. By using positrons (produced with the experimental reactor) it is possible to identify crucial material properties in the existing solar cells. Other materials that could potentially be used in solar cells would be combinations of an organic material that absorbs the light (such as a polymer or dye) and an electron-accepting material such as titanium dioxide. Illustration: Organic solar cell (Eric Verdult, Kennis in Beeld)
|
Plus:
- Sustainable building materials
- Self-healing materials
- Materials for wind turbines
Contact and links
- For more information about the research, please contact the Delft Energy Initiative
