Liquid solar cells make painting solar energy easy (image from skidrd on Flickr)
Would you believe me if I told you about liquid solar cells? Yep, instead of installing traditional silicon solar panels, you can tap into solar energy through spray-on solar ink. This new, exciting development is the renewable energy of the future. Soon, you’ll be able to literally paint solar cells onto buildings and rooftops.
New nano-ink technology may eventually be the gold standard for manufacturing solar cells. Not only will they be less expensive, but also more reliable.
The cost aspect is perhaps the best feature. Not only because some people balk at paying for solar energy, but because utilities are required to provide their customers with the cheapest power available. Until now, that has been fossil-fuel based energy. With liquid solar cells, solar panels can be affordable for everyone.
So, what is solar ink, anyway? Compared to silicon solar panels, liquid solar cells include copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) — sunlight-absorbing nanoparticles, which are 10,000 times thinner than a strand of hair.
Liquid solar cells work as follows:
“We make a solution of these nanocrystals, and we spray paint them onto a substrate,” said Matthew Panthani, a doctoral student and graduate research assistant.
Tap into Liquid Solar Cells (image from sundials from Charmichaels on Flickr)
Eventually, you may be able to use liquid solar cells to print ink, like a newspaper. And, nanocrystals could be sprayed on paper, plastic or foil, maximizing their flexibility. The goal is to develop liquid solar cells that can convert 10% of the UV light they absorb into electricity. If that can be achieved, we’re looking at technology that can be used in a few short years.
What does that mean for consumers that are interested in liquid solar cells for themselves? Well, you could expect to be able to paint solar ink onto a building in the near future. In fact, see-through solar cells could even be painted on windows.
All of this solar energy research and development is quite exciting! In fact, did you know that the cost of producing solar panels has been cut in half in just the past year.
With news like this, we can expect to see liquid solar cells and other solar technology continue to improve. I’m willing to bet that it won’t be long before solar panels are the norm for homeowners and small business owners.
What do you think about these new solar developments? Do they make you feel more or less inclined to go solar? Why or why not?
Tags: liquid solar cells, nanocrystals, solar ink, solar paint, spray on solar
