We all know about solar cells; they are complex devices that are expensive to fabricate and install, and given enough sunlight, they can produce power efficiently enough to justify their cost. Many researchers are seeking ways to improve the cost benefit by increasing the energy conversion efficiency. But there’s another way to come up with a better solar solution.
A team of scientists at the University of Notre Dame is tackling the cost side of the equation. If you could create a photovoltaic system that is inexpensive to produce, install, and maintain, then it could be less efficient than current solar cells and still generate electricity at a competitive cost. Their solution? Paint.
[Photo credit: University of Notre Dame]
The team from the Center for Nano Science and Technology (NDnano) has developed a solar paint that uses quantum dots suspended in a paste that can be applied to a surface that conducts electricity. The technology is based on nano-particles of titanium dioxide (the same material used in many sunscreens and toothpastes). These particles are coated with tiny amounts of cadmium compounds. When exposed to light, the material generates electricity.
According to Professor Prashant Kamat of NDnano, their best results at this point is 1 percent energy conversion efficiency, which is far below the 10 to 15 percent achieved by commercial solar cells. However, it should not take much improvement in efficiency to create a paint that is inexpensive to make in large quantities and that can generate cost-effective power. This could become an important part of sustainable energy production worldwide. Kamat says “That’s why we’ve christened the new paint, Sun-Believable.”
This new paint is just one of many approaches to building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) that could result new construction materials that will let buildings generate their own power.
