Cheaper Solar Panels Made From Tofu Ingredient
- 10 years ago
According to researchers from the University of Liverpool’s Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy, an ingredient commonly found in tofu could also be used to create cheaper solar panels to harvest energy from the sun. The substance called magnesium chloride is used to coagulate tofu and as a bath salt, but now scientists have found that it can be used as a cheaper alternative to cadmium chloride, which is a crucial part of thin-film solar panels.
According to researchers from the University of Liverpool’s Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy, an ingredient commonly found in tofu could also be used to create cheaper solar panels to harvest energy from the sun.
The substance called magnesium chloride is used to coagulate tofu and as a bath salt, but now scientists have found that it can be used as a cheaper alternative to cadmium chloride, which is a crucial part of thin-film solar panels.
The vast majority of solar panels use cadmium telluride, which is activated by cadmium chloride to increase the efficiency level of the solar panel from around 2 percent to 15 percent or higher.
This change in the way solar panels are made could make them more popular, as one of the deterrents to utilizing solar energy is the high cost associated with the necessary equipment.
According to researchers from the University of Liverpool’s Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy, an ingredient commonly found in tofu could also be used to create cheaper solar panels to harvest energy from the sun.
The substance called magnesium chloride is used to coagulate tofu and as a bath salt, but now scientists have found that it can be used as a cheaper alternative to cadmium chloride, which is a crucial part of thin-film solar panels.
The vast majority of solar panels use cadmium telluride, which is activated by cadmium chloride to increase the efficiency level of the solar panel from around 2 percent to 15 percent or higher.
This change in the way solar panels are made could make them more popular, as one of the deterrents to utilizing solar energy is the high cost associated with the necessary equipment.