News: Photovoltaics
17 August 2023
UbiQD expands collaboration with First Solar on quantum dot-enhanced solar modules
Nanotechnology firm UbiQD Inc of Los Alamos, NM, USA has entered into a joint development agreement with cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) module maker First Solar Inc of Tempe, AZ, USA to collaborate further on developing the potential to incorporate fluorescent quantum dot technology in advanced solar modules. The two firms have been conducting exploratory work since early 2022, and the initial results have supported the new, more formalized joint-development effort.
Since quantum dot (QD) nanoparticles exhibit high-efficiency photoluminescence over a wide range of tunable colors, they are effective at optimizing light spectra. UbiQD has launched several greenhouse products under its UbiGro brand that adjust the spectrum of sunlight to enhance crop growth. Now, the firm is engineering these materials for potential applications in utility-scale solar, with the aim of significantly increasing the efficiency of existing PV technologies.
“As we work towards developing the next generation of photovoltaics, we are exploring a range of enhancements that could allow us to convert more sunlight into energy,” says First Solar’s chief technology officer Markus Gloeckler. “We are interested in the potential use of quantum dots in optimizing the absorption of light and look forward to continuing our work with UbiQD on exploring this possibility,” he adds.
“With First Solar’s domain expertise and leadership position in multi-gigawatt-scale solar, we are excited to be working together on the potential to enhance panel efficiency using quantum dot technology,” says UbiQD’s CEO Hunter McDaniel. “If successful, this application in solar modules will be a perfect example of the broad applicability of our core technology. With emerging applications in food and energy, these novel nanomaterials are proving to be a key tool in humanity's urgent response to climate change and further sustainable economic development.”
