On June 8th, 2010, solar research institute Imec (Leuven, Belgium) presented an improved processing technique for germanium (Ge)-based thermo-photovoltaic (TPV) cells, which it says results in significant reductions in cells costs. TPV cells convert radiation from heat sources with temperatures lower than the sun's, such as waste heat in steel and glass manufacturing. Until now the complexity of TPV systems and the high cost of cell manufacture have prevented these cells from being used commercially, and Imec says that this improvement is an important step towards commercial manufacture of Ge-based TPV cells.

"Imec

2010-06-16 | Courtesy: Imec | solarserver.com © Heindl Server GmbH