Noter Dame Researches Advancing Solar Paint

The idea of solar paint has been kicked around for some time. Nortre Dame's biochemistry, chemistry and nano science researchers are studying how to make the cells-nanoparticles in the paint produce at a higher efficiency rate - currently at 1 percent. Commercial Silicon based cells usually are at an efficiency rate of 10% to 15% so the little quantum dots sitting in a paste have a long way to go before going commercial.

Nortre Dame researchers found that when applied the solar paste to a conductive surface the cells or nanoparticles in the paste produced electricity, at 1 percent efficiency. But, the idea of getting the efficiency rate up and producing the paint commercially with worldwide distribution inspired the scientists to nickname the paint "Sun-Believable."

The substrate or paste/paint can be produced cheaply in large quantities so the focus of these researchers is to improve the efficiency to the point it becomes commercially viable.

More details at Notre Dame.

Photo Credit: ACS Nano.

Here's an unrelated video of "Sun Paint" by Eindhoven University of Technology. In this case the paint is spread on conductive glass. The paint captures the available light and transmits it to a photocell that's attached to the glass. The wire from the photocell is attached to a little fan. The more paint is applied to the glass surface the more light is captured and is sent to the fan which speeds up according to the energy it's receiving.