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Heather Hobson
Solar Paint - Turn Your House Into a Power Station
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In the near future, you might just be able to turn your house or car into a self sustaining solar powered machine. This space age paint was unveiled by researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. The polymer-based paint can be applied to plastic sheets to create a solar cell for a fraction of the price, the scientists said. Eventually the panels could be printed on inkjet printers allowing users to hang them where they please.
The science goes something like this. When sunlight falls on an organic solar cell, the energy generates positive and negative charges. If the charges can be separated and sent to different electrodes, then a current flows. If not, the energy is wasted. Link cells electronically and the cells form what is called a panel, like the ones currently seen on most rooftops. The size of both the cell and panels vary. Cells can range from 1 millimeter to several feet; panels have no size limits.
The solar cell developed at NJIT uses a carbon nanotubes complex, which by the way, is a molecular configuration of carbon in a cylindrical shape. The name is derived from the tube’s miniscule size. Scientists estimate nanotubes to be 50,000 times smaller than a human hair. Nevertheless, just one nanotube can conduct current better than any conventional electrical wire. “Actually, nanotubes are significantly better conductors than copper,” Mitra added.
(associatedcontent)
Read More: njit.edu Via: associatedcontent
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