Making Cheaper Solar Panels Using Zinc

Britain's Oxford University researchers have discovered that that zinc can be used as a cheaper substrate than typical indium tin oxide. Silicone covered ITO or indium tin oxide is usually applied in a vacuum chamber. Zinc is less conductive but more abundant and cheaper to utilize in producing solar materials.

Researchers are studying how using the flexible silicone-zinc method can produce cheaper solar materials for the huge demand aircraft have for electricity. It's not practical to put an airplane wing in a chamber to apply indium, but it's easier and more economical to apply silicone-zine to large surfaces.

They also found that the zinc based material can also act as a defense from radio frequency radiation. It could protect aircraft from stray radiation signals from mobile phones and other electronic devices.

The cheaper flexible zinc solar material could lead to new updated designs for aircraft at a lower cost.

More details at Flightglobal.