Solar energy through ChemisTree
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There is nothing new in obtaining thermal energy from trees and electrical energy from the sun. But is it possible to use trees in electricity production?
Surprisingly, yes, it is! But, how? The answer is using materials derived from trees, such as cellulose, to construct different components of solar cells.
Transparent cellulose films enable greater efficiency of solar cells through their visible haze effect -- they help scatter and absorb light. Further, replacing environmentally costly glass substrates with cellulose films allows recycling and recovery of expensive and rare components currently present in solar panels.
Our goal is to increase the sustainability of solar cell technology and to reduce pollution from the inappropriate disposal of these panels.
This research project is a collaboration with the University of Turku, University of British Columbia, and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden. It is a part of the FinnCERES Materials Bioeconomy Ecosystem, and it innovates new materials for the production of solar cells.
The team:
- Joice Jaqueline Kaschuk, Department of Bioproducts, and Biosystems, Aalto University
- Weiqing Kong, Department of Bioproducts, and Biosystems, Aalto University
- Jaana Vapaavuori, Department of Chemistry and Materials Science, Aalto University
- Kati Miettunen, University of Turku
- Tiffany Abitbol, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
- Orlando Rojas, Department of Bioproducts, and Biosystems, Aalto University and University of British Columbia
Contact information: [email protected]
Jaana Vapaavuori and Kati Miettunen receive significant funding for developing new composite biomaterials
Four million euros of funding has been granted to research supporting the forest industry and forestry sector in Finland and Sweden.
Farewell to fossil fuels
More than half of our energy still comes from fossil fuels. No single technology can replace our reliance on them.
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