As most of you know, I’m a rather passionate advocate of alternative sources of energy, most notably solar. A new development from scientists from the Future Chips Constellation (FCC) at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York have created the coating using nanotechnology – engineering at the molecular level, to create a boost to traditional solar panel captures.
A non-reflective coating, comprised of seven extremely thin layers, each about 50 to 100 nanometers in height, is made of silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide nanorods positioned at an oblique angle. This non-reflective ability, and the angle, allow solar energy to be captured even at non-optimal angles. This means that during the course of a day, more actual energy-grabbing hours can be effectively used than with traditional single-layer panels. In addition, the layers do not have to meet exacting standards of thickness, removing much of the tedious manufacturing that must currently be completed to create solar panels.
I am encouraged that research into solar technology continues. As each new process and method is developed, we come closer and closer to a real solution that we can all use. Solar is ultimately renewable, free to capture, and generally non-harmful to the environment in the manufacture of the panels themselves. Now we just have to get the costs down to something reasonable.
I am VERY excited about ANY breakthrough in Alternative Energies
chining this within a Mesh or Multi-input technology framework will clearly reduce our oil needs