March 2nd, 2009
Solar gets green, I mean really green, like chlorophyll green
What are the best solar collectors in the world. Dandelions, Douglas-fir, agave, tulips–any number of plants youmight see in nature or a garden. Now some British scientists say they’ve found a way to build solar panels that mimic plants.
Plants light harvest, and so do these new panels. Nanotech has enabled these scientists to buld tiny compenents that can mimic what individual leaf molecules do in living green plants.
NANO PARTICLES
Research published late last year also showed that metallic nanoparticles can be used to enhance the enrgy conversion of solar panels. That work was done in the Netherlands and Australia.
The nanoparticles are about one-billionth of a meter in size and they cause incoming sunlight to scatter, making it more likely to be converted into electricity.
A newsman since 1969, Harry Fuller has worked for CBS, ABC, CNBC Europe, CNET and was founding news director at TechTV. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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