Recent Developments on Nanotechnology In Solar Energy

Abstract

One of the biggest challenges for mankind in the century of 21 is use of alternative sources for nonrenewable, limited fossil fuels that tremendously contribute on the problem of global warming. In this challenge, solar energy production is rapidly becoming a vital source of renewable energy being developed as an alternative to traditional sources of power. For improving the efficiency of solar devices various approaches was intended but nanotechnology, a combination of chemistry and engineering, is viewed as new candidate for clean energy applications. Nanotechnology will bring significant benefits to the energy sector, especially to energy storage and solar energy. Improved materials efficiency and reduced manufacturing costs are just two of the real economic benefits that nanotechnology already brings these fields. This paper reviews recent advances on development of nanotechnology in the solar energy devices. Special emphases are given to solar cells based on nanostructure and nanodevices. Introduction: An adequate and secure supply of energy is essential to the daily live, which needs to be achieved with minimum adverse environmental effects. One of the biggest challenges for mankind in this century is to secure a long term energy supply for sustainable global development . Nowadays our main energy sources for human activity are fossil fuels. Combustion of these fuels causes air pollution, global warming, environmental degradation, ozone layer depletion, biosphere and geosphere destruction and ecological devastation. Consequently, the actual energy production can be considered a harmful industry both in terms of pollution production and environmental impact since the industrial revolution in the 18th century . Contrarily use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, ocean thermal and tidal is suitable. Considering the remediation of environmental problems in the development of green processing technologies search is looking into nanotechnology related to renewable energies such as solar, wind and ocean energy could be possible solution to diminishing out dependence on depleting petroleum supplies . Nevertheless, the energy production alternatives are still limited because combining their high costs (manufacturing cost versus efficiency) and the implication on the environment makes these processes unsuitable. Solar energy is emitted from the sun primarily as electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet to infrared and radio spectra regions (0.2 to 3µm). The sun has a reasonable constant lifetime with A projected constant radiative energy output of over 10 billions (1010) year. Nanotechnology, the control of materials and phenomena at scale 1 and 100 nm, hold the key for many of the technological advances in the energy sector. Focusing on the energy domain, nanotechnology has the potential to significantly reduce the impact of energy production, storage and use.