Posted on 01/28/2005 5:47:41 AM PST by presidio9
Scientists have invented a plastic solar cell that can turn the sun's power into electrical energy, even on a cloudy day.
The plastic material uses nanotechnology and contains the first solar cells able to harness the sun's invisible, infrared rays. The breakthrough has led theorists to predict that plastic solar cells could one day become five times more efficient than current solar cell technology.
Like paint, the composite can be sprayed onto other materials and used as portable electricity. A sweater coated in the material could power a cell phone or other wireless devices. A hydrogen-powered car painted with the film could potentially convert enough energy into electricity to continually recharge the car's battery.
The researchers envision that one day "solar farms" consisting of the plastic material could be rolled across deserts to generate enough clean energy to supply the entire planet's power needs.
"The sun that reaches the Earth's surface delivers 10,000 times more energy than we consume," said Ted Sargent, an electrical and computer engineering professor at the University of Toronto. Sargent is one of the inventors of the new plastic material.
"If we could cover 0.1 percent of the Earth's surface with [very efficient] large-area solar cells," he said, "we could in principle replace all of our energy habits with a source of power which is clean and renewable."
Infrared Power
Plastic solar cells are not new. But existing materials are only able to harness the sun's visible light. While half of the sun's power lies in the visible spectrum, the other half lies in the infrared spectrum.
The new material is the first plastic composite that is able to harness the infrared portion.
"Everything that's warm gives off some heat. Even people and animals give off heat," Sargent said. "So there actually is some power remaining in the infrared [spectrum], even when it appears to us to be dark outside."
The researchers combined specially designed nano particles called quantum dots with a polymer to make the plastic that can detect energy in the infrared.
With further advances, the new plastic "could allow up to 30 percent of the sun's radiant energy to be harnessed, compared to 6 percent in today's best plastic solar cells," said Peter Peumans, a Stanford University electrical engineering professor, who studied the work.
Electrical Sweaters
The new material could make technology truly wireless.
"We have this expectation that we don't have to plug into a phone jack anymore to talk on the phone, but we're resigned to the fact that we have to plug into an electrical outlet to recharge the batteries," Sargent said. "That's only communications wireless, not power wireless."
He said the plastic coating could be woven into a shirt or sweater and used to charge an item like a cell phone.
"A sweater is already absorbing all sorts of light both in the infrared and the visible," said Sargent. "Instead of just turning that into heat, as it currently does, imagine if it were to turn that into electricity."
Other possibilities include energy-saving plastic sheeting that could be unfurled onto a rooftop to supply heating needs, or solar cell window coating that could let in enough infrared light to power home appliances.
Cost-Effectiveness
Ultimately, a large amount of the sun's energy could be harnessed through "solar farms" and used to power all our energy needs, the researchers predict.
"This could potentially displace other sources of electrical production that produce greenhouse gases, such as coal," Sargent said.
In Japan, the world's largest solar-power market, the government expects that 50 percent of residential power supply will come from solar power by 2030, up from a fraction of a percent today.
The biggest hurdle facing solar power is cost-effectiveness.
At a current cost of 25 to 50 cents per kilowatt-hour, solar power is significantly more expensive than conventional electrical power for residences. Average U.S. residential power prices are less than ten cents per kilowatt-hour, according to experts.
But that could change with the new material.
"Flexible, roller-processed solar cells have the potential to turn the sun's power into a clean, green, convenient source of energy," said John Wolfe, a nanotechnology venture capital investor at Lux Capital in New York City.
Cool bump. Did a lot of studying when I built my house, hoping to try some solar . Far too expensive and complicated--but someday the design will work.
I'm ready for this- if they can make it cheap and put it into house paint and roofing tiles.
Word up. Solar is still not ready for prime time given the costs/savings. I'll wait for the 5X efficiencies noted in the article.
I do think it'll be workable someday.
Daffy statement that. Gee, we wear sweaters for warmth, not to charge cell phones.
mebbe i'm being cynical here, but something dosen't seem right. i don't know what, but whenevre i hear of some magic panacea to our energy needs, i think "pons and fleischman". In other words, i'll beleive it when i see it/
if only the government would give them enough seed money they could make power too cheap to meter. now where have i heard that one before?
This would be great on our sailboat--if they can make it in non-skid.
Just make me a jogging suit out of that stuff. With my surface area, I could power a blender for cocktails on the patio.
First solar cells to convert infrared?
What do they call thermocouples?
I have got to email this to Glenn Beck. He can spray his always cold wife.
Glenn's wife is frigid?
You may have quite a while to wait, the efficiencies mentioned in the article are fictitious. To come up with that 5x number, they first pretended that the current crop of solar cells were 2.5x less efficient than they actually are. And then they fudged up their own efficiency by quoting the level they "expected" to eventually achieve, rather than the level currently obtainable. (source)
--Boot Hill
Why not just cover Michael Moore's body? It would be cheaper and it still would likely generate enough energy to supply the entire planet!
He did a bit a few days ago how his wife is cold all the time. She wants not a heated blanket, but heated pjs.
'Did a lot of studying when I built my house, hoping to try some solar . Far too expensive and complicated--but someday the design will work.'
Sure, solar power is expensive, but isn't it just a one time expense, basically? I would think very little maintenance would be required? So solar power may cost a lot now, but it pays for itself in the future and you reap those savings year after year?
I'll use it to power my flying car.
And my Linux-based toaster.
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