Major chemical company Toray has developed such a material that converts light to electricity with much greater efficiency than before and is aiming for commercial application in 2015.

The University of Tokyo is also making advances in research on nanotech organic thin films and is working to develop new materials. Commercialization of such materials is expected to lead to greater use of solar cells.

Currently, silicon-based solar cells are most common, and nearly all are in the form of solar panels that occupy large spaces, such as level ground or roofs. They have a fairly high conversion efficiency of around 20%, but the material is stiff, heavy, and difficult to handle.

Solar systems are also costly and are not as competitive as thermal power or other sources. The cost of thermoelectric power generation is around 7 yen per kilowatt, while that of photovoltaic power is nearly six times higher, or about 40 yen.

Moreover, the manufacturing process of silicon systems is complex, requiring high-vacuum, high-temperature facilities. This process in itself is not conducive to fighting global warming. For these reasons, manufacturers are working to develop materials and systems that are more inexpensive and convenient.

The material developed by Toray adds nitrogen instead of conventional sulfur to a polymer donor material that does not use silicon. This raises the voltage produced when sunlight hits the material and makes electron accumulation easier. This has resulted in the world’s highest conversion efficiency for this type of material, 5.52%, exceeding the previous high of 5.15%.

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