0:02
a tiny dose of hydrogen magic might be
0:05
the key to unlocking solar Energy's full
0:07
potential scientists have made a
0:09
breakthrough in wide band Gap kerite
0:11
solar cells using hydrogen and nealing
0:13
pushing the efficiency of czts solar
0:16
cells to new heights czts which stands
0:19
for copper zinc tin sulfur is a
0:21
promising semiconductor material for
0:23
solar energy what makes it special all
0:26
its elements are abundant on Earth and
0:28
non-toxic making it a sustainable
0:30
alternative to Silicon it also has a
0:32
wide band Gap allowing it to absorb
0:35
sunlight more efficiently in certain
0:36
parts of the solar Spectrum despite
0:39
these advantages czts-based cells have
0:41
struggled to compete with silicon in
0:44
terms of efficiency while silicon solar
0:46
cells can achieve over 20% efficiency
0:49
czts cells have been limited to around
0:52
11% the main culprit a phenomenon called
0:55
carrier recombination when sunlight hits
0:58
a solar cell it generates electrons and
1:00
holes that carry energy these particles
1:03
need to travel through the material to
1:05
be collected as usable electricity
1:08
however in czts cells many of these
1:10
particles recombine before they can be
1:12
captured resulting in Lost energy to
1:15
tackle this problem researchers at the
1:17
University of New South Wales explored a
1:19
method called hydrogen
1:21
analing this process involves heating
1:23
the solar cell in an atmosphere
1:25
containing hydrogen gas which subtly
1:28
Alters the material structure and
1:29
benefit icial ways hydrogen analing
1:32
Works its magic in czts solar cells
1:35
through three main mechanisms first it
1:37
helps redistribute sodium within the
1:39
material improving its internal
1:40
electrical properties second it reduces
1:43
defects on the surface and inside the
1:45
material that can trap electrons and
1:48
holes finally it improves carrier
1:50
transport allowing electrons and holes
1:52
to move more freely through the material
1:55
the results were impressive using
1:57
hydrogen and kneeling researchers
1:59
increased czts solar cell efficiency to
2:03
11.4% the highest recorded for this
2:05
material while still behind silicon this
2:09
represents a significant Leap Forward
2:10
for czts technology but the potential of
2:13
czts goes beyond Standalone solar cells
2:17
it could play a crucial role in tandem
2:19
solar architectures where two different
2:21
materials are stacked to capture more
2:24
sunlight across the solar Spectrum CZ
2:27
sets with its tunable band Gap is an
2:29
excellent choice for the top layer in
2:31
these systems when paired with silicon
2:34
czts could significantly boost the
2:36
overall efficiency of solar panels This
2:39
breakthrough matters for several reasons
2:41
czts uses materials that are cheap
2:44
non-toxic and abundantly available
2:46
making it more sustainable and easier to
2:49
scale than silicon this could lead to
2:51
more affordable solar energy systems
2:53
particularly in developing regions
2:56
moreover combining czts with silicon and
2:59
tandem architectures has the potential
3:01
to revolutionize power generation by
3:04
maximizing sunlight utilization while
3:07
further research is needed the current
3:09
advancements already hold promise for
3:12
applications we could soon see hybrid
3:14
solar panels that complement existing
3:16
silicon based systems off-grid solutions
3:19
for remote areas and Innovative thin
3:22
film applications like lightweight
3:24
panels or building integrated
3:26
photovoltaics looking ahead researchers
3:28
aim to push CZ TS efficiency Beyond 15%
3:32
while maintaining its economic and
3:34
environmental advantages with continued
3:37
advancements czts could soon become an
3:39
integral part of a larger more
3:41
sustainable energy infrastructure
3:43
bringing us closer to a future where
3:45
affordable clean solar power is
3:47
accessible to all thanks for watching
3:50
hydrogen news the solar energy
3:52
breakthrough is incredible share your
3:54
thoughts in the comments don't forget to
3:56
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