The solar cell they created generates a stronger current than any similar device previously recorded, and it is equally effective in both strong and low light conditions.
This revolutionary new solar energy technology could be further extended to more areas, such as British Columbia and parts of Northern Europe where cloudy weather is common. With further research and development, these bio-solar cells could potentially be as efficient as the artificial batteries used in traditional solar panels.
"Our unique solution for British Columbia is an important step toward making solar energy technology more economical," said Vikramaditya Yadav, the project leader and professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Solar cells are made up of solar panel modules that convert sunlight into electricity.
Researchers have previously created bio-solar cells, but they focused on extracting the natural dyes that bacteria use for photosynthesis. That was an expensive and complex process, requiring toxic solvents and potentially causing dye degradation. Researchers at the University of British Columbia have proposed a solution that preserves these bio-dyes within the bacteria.
They genetically edited E. coli to produce large amounts of lycopene, the dye that gives tomatoes their red-orange color, and this dye is particularly efficient at converting light into energy. The researchers coated the E. coli with a mineral layer to act as a semiconductor and placed it on a glass surface.
Researchers used coated glass as an electrode in a solar cell, and their device achieved a current density of 0.686 mA per square millimeter, 0.362 mA higher than other bio-solar cells in the field. Yadav stated, "We have set a record for the highest current density in bio-solar cells. The hybrid materials we developed are inexpensive and sustainable to manufacture, and with sufficient optimization, their conversion efficiency is fully comparable to that of traditional solar cells."
The cost savings from this technology are difficult to estimate, but Yadav believes the process reduces dye extraction costs by one-tenth. Yadav states that the key to this research is that we discovered a process that doesn't kill bacteria, allowing them to produce bio-dyes indefinitely. This bio-solar cell technology also has other potential applications, such as in mining, deep-sea exploration, and other low-light environments.
