Popular NREL cell efficiency chart shines in new interactive version

• There is a new means to explore the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL's) famous chart highlighting the efficiency of solar cells.

The Very Best Research-Cell Efficiency Chart is currently interactive, with the capacity to pull up decades of research data and create customized charts that focus on details technologies or time periods. You can additionally dive deeper into the data behind lots of factors on the chart, going beyond simply efficiency.

" There's a lot more than just the efficiency of a solar cell," stated Nikos Kopidakis, a physicist at NREL that looks after the consistently updated chart. "There's the current, the voltage output, and various other parameters as well as who made the cell. For the most part, currently you can computer mouse over as well as there is a pop-up showing you additional criteria for that cell. It's more interesting."

The interactive companion chart can focus to a specific period as well as create technology-specific charts or charts that contrast certain technologies.

All that underlying data is likewise available in a complete data documents, for those that intend to dive really deep.

The Most Effective Research-Cell Efficiency Chart attracts attention as being among the most-visited page on NREL's website. The chart consists of information on a series of different photovoltaic (PV) cell technologies as they have been found and also created over the last 50 years. It has actually tracked the incremental but consistent enhancement of standard solar cells, such as those made from silicon. And it has likewise recorded the amazing rise of some arising innovations, like perovskite solar cells.

Previously, the information available from the chart was restricted to the efficiency of a cell and the name of its maker as well as can just be downloaded as a PDF. Now, customers can personalize which modern technologies appear, explore the data behind each factor, as well as export their very own tailored versions of the chart. The static chart will additionally continue to be available. Updates to it will be made on a regular basis. For the moment, no changes will certainly be made to the friend Champion Photovoltaic Module Efficiency Chart, which includes far fewer data points.

By mousing over a specific factor on the interactive cell efficiency chart, customers can see even more details regarding that record cell. The availability of details will vary from point to direct depending upon what details NREL has in its records.

The cell efficiencies are gauged by independent screening facilities-- NREL is amongst them-- before earning a place on the chart. It has a long history as well as strong credibility within the PV research community.

" It's feasible that the NREL efficiency chart is the most presented chart that you can discover at the yearly PV Specialists Conference and similar conferences," said Sarah Kurtz, an NREL Senior Research Fellow and University of California-- Merced teacher. "Yet it has actually obtained so complete that it's tough to see the data. With the new interactive chart, scientists will certainly be able to still use the data, yet existing it in a way that communicates much better for their talk."

Kopidakis took over obligation for the chart 3 years ago. The mastermind of the chart, Keith Emery, began determining and charting the efficiencies of solar cells in 1980 when NREL was referred to as the Solar Energy Research Institute. Before then, the measurements were the duty of NASA, which utilized the technology to power satellites as well as other spacefaring craft.