American Elements CEO and GivePower President Hayes Barnard at the Standing Rock GivePower solar power farmAmerican 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

(3-Aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (4N) 99.99% Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) (5N) 99.999% Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS) (5N) 99.999% Silicon Oxide
(5N) 99.999% Tin(IV) Sulfide Powder (6,6)-Pentadeuterophenyl C61 Butyric Acid Methyl Ester (6,6)-Phenyl-C61 Butyric Acid Butyl Ester (6,6)-Phenyl-C61 Butyric Acid Octyl Ester
(6,6)-Phenyl-C71 Butyric Acid Methyl Ester, mixture of isomers (6,6)-Thienyl-C61 Butyric Acid Methyl Ester (6N) 99.9999% Cadmium Metal (6N) 99.9999% Copper Metal
(6N) 99.9999% Selenium Metal (7N) 99.99999% Cadmium Metal (7N5) 99.999995% Arsenic Metal (8N) 99.999999% Gallium Ingot
1,1,2,2-Tetramethyldisilane 1,2-Dichlorotetramethyldisilane 1,2-Dimethyl-1,1,2,2-tetraphenyldisilane 1,3-Diethyl-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisilazane
2,4,6,8,10-Pentamethylcyclopentasiloxane 2,4,6,8-Tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane Alumina Crucible Aluminium Gallium Indium Phosphide
Aluminum Silicon Foil Aluminum Silicon Slug Aluminum Silicon Sputtering Target Bis(dimethylamino)dimethylsilane
Bismuth Ferrite Bismuth Ferrite Nanoparticles / Nanopowder Bismuth Ferrite Sputtering Target Bismuth Telluride
Bismuth Telluride Nanoparticles / Nanopowder Bismuth(III) Oxyiodide C101 Dye C106 Dye
Cadmium Diethyldithiocarbamate Cadmium Formate Cadmium Selenide Cadmium Selenide Hollow Nanospheres
Cadmium Selenide Nanotubes Cadmium Stannate Cadmium Stannate Sputtering Target Cadmium Telluride
Carbon Quantum Dots Cesium Carbonate Cesium Carbonate Nanoparticles / Nanopowder Cesium Lead Bromide
Cesium Lead Iodide cis-Bis(isothiocyanato)bis(2,2'-bipyridyl-4,4'-dicarboxylato)ruthenium(II) Copper Antimony Selenide Sputtering Target Copper Antimony Sulfide
Copper Gallium Oxide Copper Gallium Oxide Sputtering Target Copper Gallium Selenide Copper Gallium Telluride
Copper Germanium Selenide Copper Indium Gallium Selenide Copper Indium Sulfide Granules Copper Indium Sulfide Nanoparticles
Copper Indium Sulfide Sputtering Target Copper Zinc Tin Selenide Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide Sputtering Target
Copper(I) Iodide/Cesium Carbonate Admixture Copper(I) Thiocyanate Di-tetrabutylammonium cis-bis(isothiocyanato)bis(2,2′-bipyridyl-4,4′-dicarboxylato)ruthenium(II) Ethylammonium Lead Iodide
FK 102 Co(II) PF6 Salt FK 102 Co(II) TFSI Salt FK 102 Co(III) PF6 Salt FK 102 Co(III) TFSI Salt
FK 209 Co(II) PF6 Salt FK 209 Co(II) TFSI Salt FK 209 Co(III) PF6 Salt FK 209 Co(III) TFSI Salt
FK 269 Co(II) PF6 Salt FK 269 Co(II) TFSI Salt FK 269 Co(III) PF6 Salt FK 269 Co(III) TFSI Salt
Formamidinium Bromide Formamidinium Iodide Formamidinium Lead Iodide Fused Quartz Powder
Gallium Arsenide Gallium Indium Arsenide Germanium(II) Iodide Germanium(IV) Iodide
Graphene Graphene Quantum Dots Indium Aluminum Arsenide Indium Arsenide
Indium Arsenide Antimonide Indium Oxide Rotatable Sputtering Target Indium Oxide Shot Indium Oxide Sputtering Target
Indium Oxide Tablets Indium Phosphide Indium Phosphide Arsenide Indium Tin Oxide (ITO)
K19 Dye Lead Iodide Solution Lead Selenide Quantum Dots Lead Selenide Sputtering Target
Lead Telluride Methylammonium Bromide Methylammonium Chloride Methylammonium Chlorodiiodoplumbate(II) Precursor
Methylammonium Iodide Methylammonium Triiodoplumbate(II) Precursor Molybdenum Diselenide Crystal Molybdenum Telluride
Molybdenum Telluride Crystal N749 Black Dye Perovskite Quantum Dots Poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl), Regioregular
Ruthenium on Activated Charcoal Catalyst Silicon Ingot Silver Coated Copper Powder Tetrabutylammonium Iodide
Tetrakis(ethylmethylamino)zirconium(IV) Tetramethylammonium Chloride Tin(II) 2,3-naphthalocyanine Titanium Dioxide Paste
Tris[2-(benzo[b]thiophen-2-yl)pyridinato-C3,N]iridium(III) [60]PCBM (6,6)-Phenyl-C61 Butyric Acid Methyl Ester