Solar Energy
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American Elements CEO Michael Silver and GivePower Foundation President Hayes Barnard at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation solar farm American Elements produces a full line of Silicon, CIS, CIGS, and CIGSS-based photovoltaic materials. We have supplied research materials to many university-based solar energy research programs such as the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability (IoES) in Los Angeles, CA., as well as the commercial research efforts at First Solar and Applied Materials.
Solar energy has the potential to supply the world with unlimited power for all, including the least among us. For example, solar energy has the potential to bring power to indigenous tribes living in remote locations so that they can continue to live within their cultural traditions off the grid. Exemplary work is being done by GivePower Foundation installing remote solar farms in Kenya to power a water desalination plant and in Colombia to provide energy to a remote archaeological site. In the summer of 2019, GivePower installed a solar farm on the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota, site of the 2016 oil pipeline protests.
Innovation Case Study #36: American Elements Contributes to Advances in Solar Generation of Hydrogen Fuel
#36: American Elements Contributes to Advances in Solar Generation of Hydrogen Fuel
The Challenge
To advance towards a cleaner, more sustainable world, ongoing innovation in solar energy technology is essential. Recent research suggests that integrating heat into photocatalytic processes could substantially enhance photoconversion efficiency. Researchers at a team from CEA & CNRS in France sought to create a highly effective photothermal catalyst using materials that are accessible, cost-effective, and abundant.
The Innovation
The French team synthesized a unique, highly stable nanoscale NiTi@TiO2/Ni photocatalyst using American Elements’ NiTi nanopowder ‘by ultrasonically assisted hydrothermal treatment in water.’
The Result
The NiTi@TiO2/Ni photocatalyst demonstrates impressive light-to-heat conversion, magnetization, and stability. The nanoparticles exhibit ‘remarkable activity for thermally assisted photocatalytic hydrogen production’ and enable ‘CO2 methanation by in situ generated hydrogen in aqueous solutions,’ showcasing significant potential for solar energy and green technology applications.
Read the research here.
Innovation Case Study #3: First Solar Builds Next-Generation Solar Panels Using American Elements Cadmium Selenide
#3: First Solar Builds Next-Generation Solar Panels Using American Elements Cadmium Selenide
The Challenge
When First Solar sought to improve the efficiency of its cadmium telluride-based thin film solar cells, it sought alternative n-type layers.
The Innovation
As part of their research, First Solar reached out to American Elements during the development phase to create suitable II-IV crystals for testing.
The Result
First Solar’s efforts lead to the launch of its state-of-the art TetraSun™ module which incorporates CdSe into the n-type layer.
Below is merely a selection of the full catalog of Solar Energy products that American Elements manufactures. If you do not see a material you're looking for listed, please search the website or contact customerservice@americanelements.com.
Selected Products Supplied to the Solar Energy Industry
American Elements Proudly Sponsors
American Elements Solar Energy Industry Customers Include:
