Natcore Tech synthesize black solar cells that absorb 99.7 percent of all incident light
There is absolutely no doubt regarding the popularity of solar energy compared to many other forms of alternate energy sources. It is easy to install, is not a visual distraction, a lot more reliable and photovoltaic panels can be pretty much integrated into most surfaces. But, one of the major breakthroughs that will help in spreading this green energy source far more rapidly among the consumer world will be an improved ability to convert sunlight into energy. And scientists at Natcore Tech are well on their way to achieving just that with the synthesis of the first black solar cell that has a reflectance of 0.3 percent.
The black solar cells absorb light far more effectively than any other solar cell model out there and hence they are bound to generate greater energy than any other ‘anti reflective coating’ available in the market today. ‘Reflectance’ is the measure of the amount of light a surface can reflect when compared to the total light falling (incident) on it. In case of the Black Solar Cell, it can pretty much absorb 99.7 percent of incident light and only reflects away 0.3 percent of it.
We still have not been given the exact efficiency figures of these new black solar cells, but it is pretty fair to assume that with the right technology and usage they will be a lot more efficient than traditional ones. What makes them especially significant is their ability to produce significantly higher energy on even cloudy days compared to the current solar cells since diffused light will not really set it back by that much. We will be waiting for some sort of commercial versions to roll out along with more details on their efficiency.