This material could help solar panels harness 40% more solar energy than before

As researchers are looking at new materials for photovoltaics to replace traditional silicon, molybdenum disulfide could be the abundant and more efficient solution that the ever-growing renewables market needs.

As per Solar Daily, silicon-based solar panels waste around 40% of the solar energy they collect in the form of heat, but the alternative material could help solve that problem, at least that's what scientists at Colorado State University say.

An ultrathin material made of molybdenum disulfide was tested and proven to be significantly more energy efficient compared to traditional silicon. This is possible thanks to the material's crystal structure, which allows solar devices to convert heat into electricity, instead of wasting it.

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Justin Sambur, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry, said that "this work paves the way for knowing how to design reactors that contain these nanoscale materials for efficient and large-scale hydrogen production."

If proven feasible and manufacturers start to scale this technology up more in favor of silicon-based photovoltaics, we could harness even more solar energy than we were able to previously.

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