Photovoltaics

More than a dozen laboratories at Stanford conduct cutting-edge research on photovoltaic (PV) technologies. Several labs are using carbon nanotubes, polymer hydrogels and other novel materials, including perovskites, to improve the efficiency of conventional silicon solar cells. Others are exploring nanotechnologies - such as light-trapping, plasmonics and upconversion - to enhance performance. Additional research areas include organic PVs, thermophotovoltaics, "stick-and-peel" solar cells and PV reliability.