Ensol, a company in Norway teamed up with University of Leicester scientists to develop a revolutionary substance that may be able to turn your windows, mobile phone, or computer screen into a solar panel.
This exciting breakthrough in solar technology may allow folks to spray the substance directly onto a flat surface, transforming the surface into a mini, (or large as with an entire building), solar panel. Currently, application of the substance tints windows and other transparent or translucent surfaces slightly, but development is still underway.
Hopefully soon you’ll be able to do a whole lot more than just put a few solar panels on your home or office building. This breakthrough technology with hopefully someday allow us to turn entire buildings into solar energy catchers. And rather than using material like silicone, this new technology uses strings of nano-particles - much thinner that a human hair. This amazing substance is anticipated to be able to produce up to one hundred watts p/sqm.
Phil Denby, the technical manager at EnSol originally discovered the technology and decided to team up with the folks at the University of Leicester. The team is currently working to perfect the whole process of producing the material as well as exploring its potential applications.
With the popularity of the Environmental movement, it is surely time that solar panels and the way we think about capturing the energy of the sun are updated. The possibilities of this exciting new technology could mean a huge decrease in our dependence on oil and natural gas.
Perhaps some day we will even be able to generate enough energy on our own, from our own homes, to surpass our consumption.
Until this technology is available, there are a variety of ways you can cut down on your energy usage including constructing your own DIY solar panels at home! Making a solar panel is not only great for the environment, but could teach you, and your children a lot about science and solar energy.
