Solar breakthrough brings zero-energy buildings a step closer

摘要

The promise of 'zero-energy' buildings -buildings that generate as much power as they consume - has traditionally been held back by two hurdles: the cost of the thin-film solar cells (used in facades, roofs and windows) and the fact they're made from scarce and highly toxic materials. That's about to change. A University of New South Wales (UNSW) team, led by Dr Xiaojing Hao of the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics, has achieved the world's highest efficiency rating for a full-sized thin-film solar cell using a competing thin-film technology, known as CZTS.