Mitsubishi has developed a new solar cell

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation plans to sell a new type of building exterior material that uses sunlight to generate energy. It is reported that this material will be available in 2013.

The new material will replace the currently used silicon-based solar cells with organic semiconductors made of petroleum and other materials. The new organic semiconductor solar cells are thinner and lighter than current flat-panel batteries.

Whereas conventional solar panels are installed on rooftops and other specific places, new materials can be used on building walls or other sunny places. In contrast, organic solar cells are easier to produce, and current solar panels require the use of heavy substrates such as glass. Experts claim that the cost of new panels is only one-tenth that of current solar panels.

According to experts, the new material is used to generate electricity from one or two skyscrapers, which is equivalent to the power generated by a large solar power plant. The new battery has a power generation capacity of 80 watts per square meter, and the conversion efficiency from solar energy to electricity is 11%, which is sufficient for practical applications. In contrast, the traditional solar panel efficiency is 14% to 15%.