Writer: Sum C

Since early this year, the price of fossil fuels has increased dramatically. Many countries are paying extra effort to develop renewable energy which is seen as a replacement for fossil fuels. Solar energy is a popular renewable energy among the household, commercial and public sectors. However, some people are reluctant to install solar panels to generate solar energy due to low energy efficiency and high cost. To resolve these issues, a Sweden-based start-up, Swedish Algae Factory, in the SUNALGAE for LIFE project supported by the European Commission, has developed a material to improve the efficiency of solar panels.

This material is called “algica”, a word combining “algae” and “silica”. It is made from the silica shells of diatoms, the phytoplankton commonly found in the ocean. The research result shows that the unique light-manipulating properties of algica can potentially boost the efficiency of silicon solar panels by at least 4% and dye-sensitised solar cells by up to 36%. Also, by adding algica to solar panels, the degradation of solar panels over time caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation will be reduced because algica will block UV light. It is estimated that solar panels having algica added will be 3.9% cheaper than current state-of-the-art solar panels. 

The invention of algica has led Swedish Algae Factory to win an international competition, Green Challenge, that rewards products, services and technologies which combine sustainability, entrepreneurship and creativity.

Swedish Algae Factory has set up a new facility which can cultivate 500 kg of algica per year and, subsequently, 1,000 kg per year. Their ultimate goal is to become the world-leading producer of advanced materials from algae and a driving force toward a circular and bio-based industry.

Source:
http://lms.ls.ntou.edu.tw/board.php?courseID=91&f=doc&cid=14303
https://www.algica.com/#vitamin-and-nutrient-booster
https://www.swedishalgaefactory.com/algica/solar-panels
https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/news-events/news/using-algae-better-solar-energy-performance-2022-10-19_en
https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/life/publicWebsite/index.cfm?fuseaction=search.dspPage&n_proj_id=6724
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/10/26/algae-could-boost-solar-panel-efficiency-by-4/
https://technews.tw/2022/10/28/using-algae-for-better-solar-energy-performance/

圖片來源︰
European Commission