A recent partnership between the steel industry and UK university researchers has led to the development of a unique photovoltaic paint that can be applied to steel.
The paint is made up of dye and electrolytes that can be applied as a paste to steel sheets. Four layers of paint are applied to each sheet. When light hits the solar cells, excited molecules release an electron into an electron collector and circuit (nanocrystalline titanium dioxide). Finally, the electrons move back into the dye.
Photovoltaic paint has a number of advantages over traditional solar cells. It doesn’t have the material limitations of silicon solar cells, so it theoretically provides many terawatts of electricity at a low cost. Additionally, the paint can absorb light across the visible spectrum— so even cloudy days will reap lots of energy.
I know many researchers are also working on semi-transparent solar cells for windows. These will shift things around for the person designing the landscape.
The company that supplies nearly all of the 'pastes' and 'dyes' for this artificial photosynthesis is a small Australian company, Dyesol. They license the rights to their materials and technology.
The beauty of the product is that it is cheap to manufacture and works in low/ambient lighting conditions. Oh yeah and the fact that they are far out in front of their competitors in getting this stuff all over the market with all the paints, fabrics, steel, etc etc.
(Disclosure: I do own a little stock in this company, altho with all this hullabaloo lately I've seen it take a hit)
Energy-Producing Solar Paint
A recent partnership between the steel industry and UK university researchers has led to the development of a unique photovoltaic paint that can be applied to steel.
The paint is made up of dye and electrolytes that can be applied as a paste to steel sheets. Four layers of paint are applied to each sheet. When light hits the solar cells, excited molecules release an electron into an electron collector and circuit (nanocrystalline titanium dioxide). Finally, the electrons move back into the dye.
Photovoltaic paint has a number of advantages over traditional solar cells. It doesn’t have the material limitations of silicon solar cells, so it theoretically provides many terawatts of electricity at a low cost. Additionally, the paint can absorb light across the visible spectrum— so even cloudy days will reap lots of energy.
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Anti, do you think applying it to your lifeless Nutsack will get that useless thing between your legs to come alive?
^ loser
don't even acknowledge him anti, pretty cool innovation imo. thanks for the link
imagine one(or all of) of Ghery's metal panels covered in this paint
but then they wouldn't reflect and cause heat gain in all of the surroundings buildings
net zero
Man - between this and TXActive we really could see buildings producing energy in a meaningful way!
Things are really getting interesting.
What is TXActive liberty bell?
UC Berkeley has produced a similar coating.
Last year, or before that I think.
Tomorrow and Wednesday I'm at the Net-Zero conference in NYC.... I'll see if I can find anything.
I know many researchers are also working on semi-transparent solar cells for windows. These will shift things around for the person designing the landscape.
Long time lurker, first time poster
The company that supplies nearly all of the 'pastes' and 'dyes' for this artificial photosynthesis is a small Australian company, Dyesol. They license the rights to their materials and technology.
Dyesol details
A few of their recent partnerships:
They have signed a large deal with Corus steel and have finished testing the application of dyes onto rolled steel output.
Universita Roma Tor Vergata have purchased a prototype facility from Dyesol.
g24i in Wales are using the dyes integrated into fabrics for mobile phone chargers and tent fabrics amongst many other things.
(see solar panel tents in antarctica)
(see solar sailboat)
The beauty of the product is that it is cheap to manufacture and works in low/ambient lighting conditions. Oh yeah and the fact that they are far out in front of their competitors in getting this stuff all over the market with all the paints, fabrics, steel, etc etc.
(Disclosure: I do own a little stock in this company, altho with all this hullabaloo lately I've seen it take a hit)
time to paint the hybrid!
here is the enlarged image
pv paint is cool, but I'd rather have high performance then mass coverage.
Solar Collector Wing?
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