UC researcher wins Iberdrola Foundation award for improving the efficiency of solar cells
Ángela Barreda will develop her project in the group of Fernando Moreno and Francisco González
UC researcher wins Iberdrola Foundation award for improving the efficiency of solar cellsÁngela Barreda will develop her project in the group of Fernando Moreno and Francisco González The PhD student at the University of Cantabria Ángela Inmaculada Barreda Gómez will develop the project "Improving the energy efficiency of solar cells through the use of nanometric-sized dielectric structures.
This is the second grant that Barreda has received from the Foundation to continue advancing in this project, which began in the 2015-2016 academic year. Originating in the thesis that he is developing within the Optics Group (Department of Applied Physics), he will carry out the research under the supervision of professors Fernando Moreno and Francisco González.
The aim is to continue research on the control of the directionality of the electromagnetic radiation diffused by small dielectric particles of high refractive index, such as silicon, germanium and other semiconductor compounds in the near infrared, and to take advantage of this control to improve the capture of light by photosensitive plates and therefore their energy yield.
In the previous project, the influence of the morphology of these particles when deposited on these plates was extensively studied and it was found that their efficiency could be increased by around 6%.
The recently awarded project aims to make experimental advances in collaboration with the Fresnel Institute in Marseille (France) and to make concrete practical proposals for further development in engineering.
The Foundation's support is not only financial, but also allows the selected person to manage a research project as principal investigator, with the usefulness that this entails in his or her training as a Doctor.