Spray-On Solar-Power Cells Are True Breakthrough

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SOLAR REVOLUTION - Solar Paint
Ted Sargent is a pioneer in solar science. He's working on solar technology that could literally be woven into every aspect of daily life, from our clothes to our roads, using what is known as a spray-on solar cell. The implications for our energy systems are profound. As Ted says, "Solar energy is not just an exciting science problem, but an incredibly important human problem."

Ted is working on solar nanotechnology with the potential to make solar energy very cheap and allow society to collect it on a huge scale. Currently, solar technology costs more to build and install than most people are willing to pay. Solar panels, for example, the technology most commonly associated with solar energy, are installed on your rooftop. The cost of collecting one kilowatt per hour of solar energy (about a third of the electricity an average household uses on any given day) is about $11,000.

Not only are panels expensive to install, they capture only the visible portion of the sun's rays so they work only on sunny days. Ted's focus is the infrared portion of the sun's rays which accounts for more than half of all solar energy. What's more, infrared energy is available to us even in cloudy weather.
A quantum dot is a semiconductor nanostructure that confines the motion of conduction band electrons, valence band holes, or excitons (bound pairs of conduction band electrons and valence band holes) in all three spatial directions. The confinement can be due to electrostatic potentials (generated by external electrodes, doping, strain, impurities), the presence of an interface between different semiconductor materials (e.g. in core-shell nanocrystal systems), the presence of the semiconductor surface (e.g. semiconductor nanocrystal), or a combination of these. A quantum dot has a discrete quantized energy spectrum. The corresponding wave functions are spatially localized within the quantum dot, but extend over many periods of the crystal lattice. A quantum dot contains a small finite number (of the order of 1-100) of conduction band electrons, valence band holes, or excitons, i.e., a finite number of elementary electric charges.

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Comments on

Spray-On Solar-Power Cells Are True Breakthrough

25 Comments | Add Comment
  • Solar all the way. ...

    Solar all the way. Im using a small cell to charge my phone by the window. I use another I use another fixed to the computer bag to charge the laptop when Im out and about. Solar is the most portable power source availible.

    By shaper252 [Affiliate User] 1210063860 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • This technology is ...

    This technology is 2 years old. How come it has not made mainstream yet?

    By pacus123 [Affiliate User] 1210002171 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Hey mvirtuallyhere ...

    Hey mvirtuallyhere if you stop playin with yourself maybee you CAN read an listen, ha ha ha

    By antonmagdovich [Affiliate User] 1209824997 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • If we can't depend ...

    If we can't depend on the Sun then Humanity will cease. No solar waves hitting the big E would be the end of us all. I'm for Tesla's route. Radiant energy. But free energy to the world would shake the foundations of civilization. No more poor. No more rich. But capitalism doesn't work like that. Capitalism keeps people poor so the rich maintain our decadent lives. We in the West need someone to go pick bananas, make our Nike shoes and supply the WalMarts so we can watch LOST and drink lattes.

    By clonemewhenidie [Affiliate User] 1209695250 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • LOL. I think, the ...

    LOL. I think, the author considered multitasking to double the information flow rate; as a computer can process data from two USB interfaces simultanously.
    ;-))

    By sacha4you [Affiliate User] 1209574530 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • We are expected to ...

    We are expected to read and listen at the same time?!?

    By mvirtuallyhere [Affiliate User] 1209407213 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • wie kann ich mit ...

    wie kann ich mit dir Kontakt aufnehmen bezüglich der Preise und Angebote?
    MfG

    By N4mU [Affiliate User] 1209267075 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • i sell them in de

    i sell them in de

    By bad1bran [Affiliate User] 1209238310 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • you assume wrong

    you assume wrong

    By Malcome14 [Affiliate User] 1208963162 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • no, it's not *the* ...

    no, it's not *the* future. It shouldn't be the only source. If we invest all dependance on one source of energy then that puts us at risk.

    But I assume you know this.

    By dusteroo [Affiliate User] 1208958925 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • instead of ...

    instead of improving nuclear power plants, i assume they are more focused on solar power so they can eventually do away with nuclear all together instead of just improving its efficiency.

    By fauxhawk92 [Affiliate User] 1208952854 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Thanks for the ...

    Thanks for the worthless speech.

    By Mapanatl [Affiliate User] 1208686353 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Solar is the future ...

    Solar is the future. Check out this cool one too. Even better.

    Search for Youtube video 4h9FLvj2ZJM

    By haloluvver [Affiliate User] 1207291182 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • I wanna make this ...

    I wanna make this myself!!!!!

    By deviantcreep [Affiliate User] 1206942213 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Is it already ...

    Is it already possible to install that system at my house? Where to buy it?

    By N4mU [Affiliate User] 1206853975 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • "don't forget earth ...

    "don't forget earth (geothermal)"
    Ditto!!
    Alas, STORAGE for use is always the dilemma, no matter the source.

    By vital2mi [Affiliate User] 1206637001 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • little to no ...

    little to no emmisions!?!?!?!?(Someoneizalive)
    The toxic waste they create take millions of years to become safe.

    By OnlySanePerson [Affiliate User] 1205804138 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Is this on the ...

    Is this on the market today????

    By stemrays [Affiliate User] 1205740505 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • They should improve ...

    They should improve the nuclear plants so they aren't as a danger to the world as they are with little to no emmisions and a more effeicient way of capturing energy.

    But I beleive we should also be working hard on making solar power a more efficient resource.

    By Someoneizalive [Affiliate User] 1205505540 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • don't forget earth ...

    don't forget earth (geothermal)

    By alexmayu2 [Affiliate User] 1203869691 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • There's loads on ...

    There's loads on other planets and moons

    By bettyswollochs [Affiliate User] 1202912886 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • I hope a day comes ...

    I hope a day comes when graduates students working 20 hrs a day is not glorified.

    By lidarman2 [Affiliate User] 1202673298 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • wind water sun

    wind water sun

    By snarfelhamana [Affiliate User] 1201701739 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Three power sources ...

    Three power sources that need expansion:

    Cheap Solar Panels
    Closed-Loop Geothermal (no emissions)
    Advanced Nuclear power plants

    By andyplace [Affiliate User] 1201699725 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • When do you think ...

    When do you think that this technology will be available to diy handymen ? Keep up the good work

    By diamondsmajestic1 [Affiliate User] 1200191458 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
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