Solar Power Could Get Even More Affordable As Scientists Discover Way To Replace Platinum Components With 3D Graphene

19 February 2017

– Although solar power is one of the most popular forms of green energy, it certainly is not without flaw.

Dye-sensitized solar cells, which are one of the most promising types of solar cells in existence, are very efficient at transforming sunshine into energy, yet they are very expensive. This is because dye-sensitized solar cells are made primarily out of platinum, which costs a whopping $1,500 an ounce. Obviously, the cost of producing these cells is passed along to the consumer, making them anything but affordable.

Now, a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Michigan Tech University claims to have a solution.

Professor Yun Hang Yu has created a new material that could both maintain the quality of the solar cells while significantly reducing the cost. The material is known as 3D Graphene, a honeycomb-like structure that combines lithium oxide with carbon monoxide to form lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) and the honeycomb graphene.