From the day scientists started using solar panels to generate power from solar energy to till date, efficiency of solar panels has been a major road block in establishing solar power as the major alternate source of energy. But, here is some good news. Patrick Pinhero, an associate professor in MU chemical engineering department, has developed a flexible solar sheet that will gather and transform up to 95% of the available sun light. He claims that within 5 years, prototype of the product will be available to consumers also. Patrick and his team have developed essentially a thin and moldable sheet of small antennas (called nantenna), which are capable of collecting sun light throughout the whole solar spectrum. Working with his former team at the Idaho National Laboratory and Garrett Moddel, an electrical engineering professor at the University of Colorado, Pinhero and his team have developed a special high speed electrical circuitry which can now harness the electricity from the collected heat and sunlight. Pinhero has also partnered with Dennis Slafer of MicroContinuum, Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., who will help them in transforming laboratory technology in to commercially viable products in an inexpensive way so that they can be mass produced. The basic goal, as pointed by Pinhero, is to gather and transform as much solar energy as is possible and to apply successfully to a day to day commercial use; so that it is accessible to everyone. If everything goes as per the plan, this innovation will be way ahead in terms of efficiency then the present solar technologies available. In order to successfully implement the same, the team is securing funding from U.S Department of Energy and from private investors as well. The team believes that a commercially viable product, that compliments present photovoltaic solar technologies, can be made available within 5 years period. Also as it’s a flexible film, it can be incorporated on various type of products and platforms or can also be customized to power vehicles. Pinhero plans various alternate commercial use of the same like improved infrared detection for airport and military use, optical computing and infrared line-of-sight telecommunication. Via: Science Daily
