Researchers from Costa Rica have been handed a prestigious honour for their development of a ruthenium-based solar energy cell.

The Florida Ice and Farm Company decided to give its 2009 Contribution to Quality and Excellence Award, plus a $25,000 cash prize, to scientists from the University of Costa Rica (UCR) and the Costa Rican Technological Institute.

Using a titanium dioxide cell with a ruthenium dye base, the group were able to absorb a higher proportion of the electromagnetic spectrum than the solar cells currently on the market.

The major difference was the team's decision to abandon the traditional method of making solar panel cells with polymorphic silicone, achieving higher output with the dye-based approach.

According to the Tico Times, deploying the ruthenium dye base would improve the efficiency of solar panels and cut the up-front costs of producing this type of energy.

"The titanium dioxide (cell) has a much lower price than silicone and it is much more accessible," Leslie Pineda, a Researcher at the UCR's School of Chemistry, told the news provider.

Ruthenium is generally used for wear-resistant electrical contacts and the production of thick-film resistors.

Source:

Costa Rican researches win prize for solar energy cell design (09/06/10)

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