November 15 2008, Helios Project – Photon to fuel [Nano High] Notes Summary

One of the major problems today with making solar cells a viable energy
source is not making them more efficient, but making enough of them at a
reasonable price. Modern, commercial solar cells operate at around 22-24% power
efficiency, and currently in development are multigap solar cells which operate at
efficiencies excess of 50%. Unfortunately, it simply isn’t viable to produce enough
solar cells to supply a grid with power because they cost too much to make:
Multigap solar cells cost several thousand dollars, and even the relatively cheap
normal solar cells are much too expensive. While solar cell commercial use is
currently growing, solar cells still only account for a very small fraction of energy
production, about .0007%, and it would take until around 2050 for it to amount to
much more. With our current energy deficit, that is a devastatingly long to time to
wait.

The scientists working on the Helios Project are operating under the
assumption that there are currently about 58 million acres of unused agricultural
land. This land, as a result, is available to be covered in solar cells. Current solar
cells, as stated previously, are too expensive to use, but if we were able to cover
this unused land in solar cells with an efficiency of even 1%, the energy would be
able to replace all gas consumption. At 8%, it would be able to replace all other
current energy sources, and that is the current goal. What the scientists are trying
to do is develop solar cells which can be produced at a cheap enough price that
they can cover this unused land, and at the same time have a power efficiency of at
least 8%.

Currently, scientists are focusing their attention on solar cells produced using
nano-crystals. Producing a one square foot membrane of nano-crystals is much
more energy efficient than producing a single, solid crystal of the same volume. As
a result, they are the cheapest to make, and if produced correctly, they may even
outperform current solar cells which utilize large crystals. Other projects currently
going on include attempts to manufacture solar cells which mimic photosynthesis,
producing either energy directly, or storing it in the form of fuels which may range
from pure oxygen and hydrogen to alcohols. The artificial photosynthesis has
additional incentives in that they would provide an easy source of renewable,
carbon neutral fuel in an energy dense state.