A UC Irvine team thinks iron pyrite could be a cheaper
alternative to the materials now used in making solar panels.
Iron pyrite — also known as fool's gold
— may be worthless to treasure hunters, but it could
become a bonanza to the solar industry.
But researchers at UC Irvine said they could soon turn
fool's gold into a cheaper alternative to the rare and
expensive materials now used in making solar panels.
The UCI team believes the mineral can be processed into a thin
film for use in photovoltaic cells, and could eventually convert
sunlight into electricity at roughly the same rate as existing
technology.
Though it's too early to estimate the cost of cells made
with pyrite, Law said they're likely to be cheaper because
fool's gold is so readily available. A prototype could be ready
within the year, but it could be at least three years before the
cells are commercially available.
