NationStates Jolt Archive

COMMENTARY: With all the concern and controversy about reliance on fossil fuels ( foreign and otherwise ), this development shows real promise and comes at an opprtune time. What thinkest thou?


Spray-On Solar-Power Cells
Are True Breakthrough (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/01/0114_050114_solarplastic.html)


Stefan Lovgren
for National Geographic News

January 14, 2005
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.

[ This article is two pages long. To read the rest of the article, go here (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/01/0114_050114_solarplastic_2.html). ]

Exactly how large is 0.1% of the earth's surface?

cool. I need to remember that.

I found a place that makes solar shingles, I thought they were cool, because my dad used to own a solar power business and half of his time was wasted by going to put solar panels back on people's houses after the tornado ripped it off and blew it down the street (yes the rest of the house was semi okay)

Exactly how large is 0.1% of the earth's surface?
I may not be right but, 5% of the area of the US.

I may not be right but, 5% of the area of the US.

Thanks quite a lot.

If the West Wing is accurate its like all of nevada.

If the West Wing is accurate its like all of nevada.
But we don't have to put it all in one place.

Why does the car that's covered in the paint have to be hydrogen powered? If it's recharging the batteries the whole time, can't it be solar powered? Or be a hybrid that taps the engine very rarely?

Anyway, sounds cool. Anything that helps.

Who says it needs to take up space? Just spray it onto the roof of every building in the world and that should be 0.1%. Alternatively we could have 'solar rigs' out at sea, it's not like vast, empty expanses of ocean are in short supply. Transporting that energy to land might be trickier but if we can develop spray on solar panels a little thing like energy transfer shouldn't be a problem.

This story has really made my day, it seems that the world is starting to develop realistic alteratives to fossil fuels afterall.:)

Thanks for posting that, Eutrusca. That's great news indeed.

nice, i can't wait till i have a solar-powered shirt :D

nice, i can't wait till i have a solar-powered shirt :D
That sort of thing is seriously being considered for outdoor gear; think a shell that melts snow for you to drink. No more sodding water bottles, Yay!

That sort of thing is seriously being considered for outdoor gear; think a shell that melts snow for you to drink. No more sodding water bottles, Yay!
and how is that meant to work in most of australia?

and how is that meant to work in most of australia?
*shrugs* a hat with a solar panel fan on it?

*shrugs* a hat with a solar panel fan on it?
we already have those.

and how is that meant to work in most of australia?
A well-digging walking stick? A sweater powering your cell phone so you can call in catering? A cloud-seeding self-ejecting backpack-propelled solar rocket? A solar-panelled lightweight copy of Dune converting your urine into drinking water?
Eh, the possibilities are endless.

A well-digging walking stick? A sweater powering you cell phone so you can call in catering? A cloud-seeding self-ejecting backpack-propelled solar rocket? A solar-panelled lightweight copy of Dune converting your urine into drinking water?
Eh, the possibilities are endless.
A rucksack with a mini fridge in it.

Between Nortwestern Australia, which I read is the most solar-friendly place on Earth, the Sahara Desert, The roofs of all our houses, stretches of desert on Neavada and Arizona, ANd maybe a few floating platforms in the ocean, and .1% of Earth's surface should be easy. :)

If those things can go power my laptop, great!

Between Nortwestern Australia, which I read is the most solar-friendly place on Earth, the Sahara Desert, The roofs of all our houses, stretches of desert on Neavada and Arizona, ANd maybe a few floating platforms in the ocean, and .1% of Earth's surface should be easy. :)
at a guess, even just all of the roof space in the world should be sufficient. same goes for using most of australia

Between Nortwestern Australia, which I read is the most solar-friendly place on Earth, the Sahara Desert, The roofs of all our houses, stretches of desert on Neavada and Arizona, ANd maybe a few floating platforms in the ocean, and .1% of Earth's surface should be easy. :)

Now we just need the willpower to actually do it.

Now we just need the willpower to actually do it.

If the price is reasonable, and it means lowering my electric bill, I'm all over it, baby! I'll paint everything! Fences, cars, pets, people! Just tell me where to stick the wires. :D

Now we just need the willpower to actually do it.
there are more than necessary people willing to do it, it's just that they're not willing to spend their money on it or they don't have the money to spend on it

If the price is reasonable, and it means lowering my electric bill, I'm all over it, baby! I'll paint everything! Fences, cars, pets, people! Just tell me where to stick the wires. :D
in my pants. oh wait, this is one of those times that saying that is a bad idea.

If the West Wing is accurate its like all of nevada.
I'm perfectly fine with spray painting Nevada.

My mobile phone battery needs some of that paint. Self-powered mobile phones ... time to get rid of those annoying rechargers.

My mobile phone battery needs some of that paint. Self-powered mobile phones ... time to get rid of those annoying rechargers.
a fair point. most things produce heat due to inefficiency, which is partly emitted as IR light. meaning we could have devices powered off of other devices inefficiency. cool :D

hyperbole is in the nature of headlines, but yah, i'm 'all over' fur it.
i'll have to check with my local solar suppliers to see when i can get my own hands on this wonder myrical. haven't read the artical in detail yet, but recall from calculating area of solar recharging battery powered rail vehicules that there is a certain ratio of how much photovoltaic surface is required to generate how much energy. generaly it worked out to just possible, by covering the top and both sides of a hernia gauge engine, big enough to hold the batteries (and then some), to have enough surface area for a weak in the sun to charge up enough to run for a couple of days each week.

this isn't bad considering that first cost is almost total cost. the conventional panels i would need for that (arround 21"x60" each) cost about $us 300.oo, so for about $900, plus a couple hundred for the charging regulator, well i won't go into the cost of the other components, but it was under $ 3K to build a hernia gauge (7 1/2") loco compaired to arround $6k to buy a hydro static or electric drive, internal combustion powered equivelant.

considering the advantage of not haveing to by fuel or lug a plug in battery charger, and that two days a week of almost continuous running is more then most hernia gauge trains are run anyway, yah i'd say going solar is a pretty darn good deal.

hitchiking or cross country velocopedeling with your laptop is another more or less practical application that comes immediately to mind.

and of course the freedom to live/camp 'off grid' is a major attraction for us so inclined to in and of itself to begin with.

=^^=
.../\...

a fair point. most things produce heat due to inefficiency, which is partly emitted as IR light. meaning we could have devices powered off of other devices inefficiency. cool :D

If you live in horribly sunny place like I do, all I want do is put your mobile phone in a sunny - and it gets charged. No looking for powerpoints for these clumsy chargers. At night, stick them under a light or just have one of those USB chargers from your PC.

If you live in horribly sunny place like I do, all I want do is put your mobile phone in a sunny - and it gets charged. No looking for powerpoints for these clumsy chargers. At night, stick them under a light or just have one of those USB chargers from your PC.
i lve in australia, so i know what you're talking about it. and don't forget that in theory, your body heat should also charge it, meaning it can be pocket-powered

i lve in australia, so i know what you're talking about it. and don't forget that in theory, your body heat should also charge it, meaning it can be pocket-powered

Now, all we need are reliable batteries ...

Now, all we need are reliable batteries ...
ah crap, now it's all turning into the matrix. i don't want to be in an increasingly bad series of movies :mad:

Solar Technology is getting pretty badass. :fluffle:

Hahah, powerplant-in-a-can. I love it.

More seriously that really is amazing. Can someone e-mail this to lots of politicians?