Scientists Create Energy-Producing Solar Paint
A recent partnership between the steel industry and UK university researchers has led to the development of a unique photovoltaic paint that can be applied to steel.
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The paint is made up of dye and electrolytes that can be applied as a paste to steel sheets. Four layers of paint are applied to each sheet. When light hits the solar cells, excited molecules release an electron into an electron collector and circuit (nanocrystalline titanium dioxide). Finally, the electrons move back into the dye.
Photovoltaic paint has a number of advantages over traditional solar cells. It doesn’t have the material limitations of silicon solar cells, so it theoretically provides many terawatts of electricity at a low cost. Additionally, the paint can absorb light across the visible spectrum— so even cloudy days will reap lots of energy.
According to steel company Corus Colours, the solar cells can achieve a power conversion efficiency of 11 percent.
Production of solar paint will begin soon— a lab built to develop the new technology is starting work on October 30 in North Wales. Ultimately, researchers at the PV Accelerator Laboratory in North Wales hope to develop a way to apply solar paint to steel at 30 to 40 square meters per second.
I only wonder if solar paint will be available for purchase to consumers in the future— if so, it could easily lead to a do-it-yourself solar revolution.
Photo credit: Corus Colours
I was asked about the expected price per Watt for a true consumer solar paint deployment that we might accomplish at SUNTCO. In our skunkworks approach to this issue we specified in our design the use of radiant energy and resulting converted power to be highly efficient as a requirement over any solar panel application, that we near the under $2dollar/WATT mark in our work to present a business achievable goal.
Dr. Doug Linman, CTO
SUNTCO
dlinman@suntco.com
Yes, thank you again for the recent mails. We have pending our SLC or solar liquid coating (paint)that will go into field trials this year. It will be over 250% more efficient than solar panels and expected to reduce the price per watt to less than $2.00. There will no longer be an eye sore structure required and you will be able to send your excess power back to the grid and live on earned credits instead of growing capacity costs. It is our hope, goal and plan that the “utility world” will see these efforts in direct support to a “conservation” solution versus an endless capacity and infrastucture growth approach. Consumers will directly benefit with low or No electrical bill and the grid will be reverse supported with more capacity arriving from high efficent home adn business painted solutions providing more capacity and availability growth without extensive, uncontrolled and costly upgrades passed onto to consumers. Thank you again for all your letters. dlinman@suntco.com
One letter today was very interesting in that it had a problem where our solution was sought under harsh conditions. Since we have not physcially attempted to use our solar liquid coating on the roof and also solar paint a house to support the homes’ full energy requirement operating under several inches of snow yet, I was stumped. All I can say right now is that we promise to add this test and will publish the results. We already have a commitment to test homes in Madison, Wisconsin and Troy, Michigan so maybe we will discover something there. We recognize the problem does exists in some areas with no clear solution. The request will be undertaken. Thank You!
Yes, thank you for your note. We believe we can now get under $2/Watt towards that $1/Watt mark but how should it be calculated? As a comparative study if you conclude your research using “solar panel math” as applied, it appears to be highly variable, mathematically speaking, and somewhat jaded towards certain manufacturers applications. So we will have to promote a more standards based model for solar liquid coating and paint that normalizes the most significant factors causing possibly a more accurate comparision, or simply seek to stablize the proper equations for use enveloping solar liquid paint and coating consumer and business applications. SuntCo is certainly addressing this issue for our solar paint and coatings products.
We have a letter on the level of testing and the publication of results.
Regulators will require extensive testing of our solar paint and coatings products especially due to the recent crackdown on harmful solar panel material degradation and their negative conribution to the air and environment. We have planned for this as part of industry and consumer acceptance requirements. We have no visible structural material since we deploy our solar paint and imbedded conductive circuitry as the final solution. The active elements, once fused, form a new compound that degrades slowly over 20-25 years and is expected to remain “green” friendly during that time course until re-applied. Thank you again.
we are entering our product assembly and testing phase for our solar paint and coating work. The note I received was correct, we are fusing the electrochemical portion with the nanotechnology portion to arrive at our solution. The efficiencies there will be considerable, in the hundreds of percents greater than a typical solar panel. After this is verified in field tests then our only issue will be material degradation over time. We can get to 25 years, but feel 15-20 years, before a new application is required, would be more practicable. Once everything is complete, the simple ROI mathematics would be in the 3 years range or less.
Sir,
I have been searching on solar paints for a long time and have read some articles on it. But still I haven’t understood how does it work. As you said in your article “excited molecules release an electron into an electron collector and circuit (nanocrystalline titanium dioxide). Finally, the electrons move back into the dye.” What is the electron collector & how is the generated electricity utilized. Is it through the metal sheet? And why does the electrons have to go back into the dye. Can you please explain the working of this cell or can tell me some site where I can find it all.
Thank you.
Simply, our details are our trade business and thus are not for public display as normal. We provide ample data on the website and the coming update will also display what we can responsibly discuss in open forum. Your research may have certainly provided ample tecnological hints. As a scientist or engineer you would rapidly recognize the list of potential considerations toward any design. This part took us years to sort through and perfect. Good hunting!
We are already working with Wisconsin, Michigan, and California at the highest levels to solidify interest/roll out and regulatory planning. Thank you for your note. Our next targets are Florida, Alaska, Texas, Illinois, Virginia, Seattle. More to come as we progress now at the testing/readiness center.
doug linman
Suntco,
california
dlinman@suntco.com
Nanno technology paint precautions in application to
metal roofs.