Low-cost solar: A brighter future?

Dr Vincent Barrioz from the Low Carbon Research Institute (LCRI) in Wales shares his views on how a new solar photovoltaic processing technique can help the UK to fulfill its low-carbon agenda. Researchers at the institute are developing innovations in thin-film solar photovoltaics (PV) as part of a new Welsh Government-funded project aimed at making PV solar energy more affordable. The team of researchers is developing a new deposition process to improve the production and efficiency of PV cells as part of the project. A thin film PV cell comprises of a substrate that is coated with thin layers of semiconductor materials, which enables the cell to convert solar radiation into electricity. The cells need to be lightweight, durable, and easily produced at the lowest possible cost. One of several methods used to coat the substrate is metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD).