Comments on: New Solar Power Material Can Capture Every Color of the Rainbow http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/19/new-solar-power-material-can-capture-every-color-of-the-rainbow/ Clean Tech News & Views: Solar Energy News. Wind Energy News. EV News. & More. Fri, 25 May 2012 21:35:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: mike zuck http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/19/new-solar-power-material-can-capture-every-color-of-the-rainbow/#comment-3969 mike zuck Mon, 15 Feb 2010 02:24:52 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=1327#comment-3969 If Photovoltaic solar panels were 100% effecient then there would be no heat, because all of the suns energey would be converted in electricity. This is what Albert Einstein called "the Conservation of Energy." A consequence of this law is that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only be transformed from one state to another. Remember his famouse formula E=Mc2? Which meens what goes in must equal what comes out. If Photovoltaic solar panels were 100% effecient then there would be no heat, because all of the suns energey would be converted in electricity. This is what Albert Einstein called “the Conservation of Energy.” A consequence of this law is that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only be transformed from one state to another. Remember his famouse formula E=Mc2? Which meens what goes in must equal what comes out.

]]> By: mike zuck http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/19/new-solar-power-material-can-capture-every-color-of-the-rainbow/#comment-20341 mike zuck Mon, 15 Feb 2010 02:24:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=1327#comment-20341 If Photovoltaic solar panels were 100% effecient then there would be no heat, because all of the suns energey would be converted in electricity. This is what Albert Einstein called "the Conservation of Energy." A consequence of this law is that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only be transformed from one state to another. Remember his famouse formula E=Mc2? Which meens what goes in must equal what comes out. If Photovoltaic solar panels were 100% effecient then there would be no heat, because all of the suns energey would be converted in electricity. This is what Albert Einstein called “the Conservation of Energy.” A consequence of this law is that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only be transformed from one state to another. Remember his famouse formula E=Mc2? Which meens what goes in must equal what comes out.

]]> By: mike zuck http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/19/new-solar-power-material-can-capture-every-color-of-the-rainbow/#comment-3968 mike zuck Mon, 15 Feb 2010 02:14:04 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=1327#comment-3968 Color is made up of different wavelenths of energy, these wavelenths are so defined that we can tell the tempeture of a fire just by its color, such as red-hot or white-hot, how hot is the yellow or blue? If we can utilize different wavelenths of ENERGY which are in the form of color then we can make PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR CELLS (aka,solar panels) more efficient. And make no mistake, we are dealing with photons of light from the sun to make electricity, not heat, hence the correct term PHOTOVOLTAIC. If all you want is hot water then black is just fine. Color is made up of different wavelenths of energy, these wavelenths are so defined that we can tell the tempeture of a fire just by its color, such as red-hot or white-hot, how hot is the yellow or blue? If we can utilize different wavelenths of ENERGY which are in the form of color then we can make PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR CELLS (aka,solar panels) more efficient. And make no mistake, we are dealing with photons of light from the sun to make electricity, not heat, hence the correct term PHOTOVOLTAIC. If all you want is hot water then black is just fine.

]]> By: mike zuck http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/19/new-solar-power-material-can-capture-every-color-of-the-rainbow/#comment-20340 mike zuck Mon, 15 Feb 2010 02:14:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=1327#comment-20340 Color is made up of different wavelenths of energy, these wavelenths are so defined that we can tell the tempeture of a fire just by its color, such as red-hot or white-hot, how hot is the yellow or blue? If we can utilize different wavelenths of ENERGY which are in the form of color then we can make PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR CELLS (aka,solar panels) more efficient. And make no mistake, we are dealing with photons of light from the sun to make electricity, not heat, hence the correct term PHOTOVOLTAIC. If all you want is hot water then black is just fine. Color is made up of different wavelenths of energy, these wavelenths are so defined that we can tell the tempeture of a fire just by its color, such as red-hot or white-hot, how hot is the yellow or blue? If we can utilize different wavelenths of ENERGY which are in the form of color then we can make PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR CELLS (aka,solar panels) more efficient. And make no mistake, we are dealing with photons of light from the sun to make electricity, not heat, hence the correct term PHOTOVOLTAIC. If all you want is hot water then black is just fine.

]]> By: mike zuck http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/19/new-solar-power-material-can-capture-every-color-of-the-rainbow/#comment-3967 mike zuck Mon, 15 Feb 2010 01:59:18 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=1327#comment-3967 Our world is full of integrated circuits. You find several of them in computers. For example, most people have probably heard about the microprocessor. The microprocessor is an integrated circuit that processes all information in the computer. It keeps track of what keys are pressed and if the mouse has been moved. It counts numbers and runs programs, games and the operating system. Integrated circuits are also found in almost every modern electrical device such as cars, television sets, CD players, cellular phones, etc. Our world is full of integrated circuits. You find several of them in computers. For example, most people have probably heard about the microprocessor. The microprocessor is an integrated circuit that processes all information in the computer. It keeps track of what keys are pressed and if the mouse has been moved. It counts numbers and runs programs, games and the operating system. Integrated circuits are also found in almost every modern electrical device such as cars, television sets, CD players, cellular phones, etc.

]]> By: mike zuck http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/19/new-solar-power-material-can-capture-every-color-of-the-rainbow/#comment-20339 mike zuck Mon, 15 Feb 2010 01:59:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=1327#comment-20339 Our world is full of integrated circuits. You find several of them in computers. For example, most people have probably heard about the microprocessor. The microprocessor is an integrated circuit that processes all information in the computer. It keeps track of what keys are pressed and if the mouse has been moved. It counts numbers and runs programs, games and the operating system. Integrated circuits are also found in almost every modern electrical device such as cars, television sets, CD players, cellular phones, etc. Our world is full of integrated circuits. You find several of them in computers. For example, most people have probably heard about the microprocessor. The microprocessor is an integrated circuit that processes all information in the computer. It keeps track of what keys are pressed and if the mouse has been moved. It counts numbers and runs programs, games and the operating system. Integrated circuits are also found in almost every modern electrical device such as cars, television sets, CD players, cellular phones, etc.

]]> By: Anne http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/19/new-solar-power-material-can-capture-every-color-of-the-rainbow/#comment-3966 Anne Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:29:41 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=1327#comment-3966 stinky, "Unfortunately… I am sick of this… this kind of article, this kind of leap forward. Maybe it exists, maybe it doesn’t, but it is always ten years away and we will NEVER SEE IT." You're right. When some lab dweller said he discovered what he called the "integrated circuit", it was all over the press. It was touted as the biggest discovery since the transistor and promised cheap radios and t.v.'s and perhaps could even make a household computer feasible. How thrilling, then we could calculate missile trajectories in the attic. Well were are those wonderful "integrated circuits" today? WE NEVER SAW IT. stinky,

“Unfortunately… I am sick of this… this kind of article, this kind of leap forward. Maybe it exists, maybe it doesn’t, but it is always ten years away and we will NEVER SEE IT.”

You’re right. When some lab dweller said he discovered what he called the “integrated circuit”, it was all over the press. It was touted as the biggest discovery since the transistor and promised cheap radios and t.v.’s and perhaps could even make a household computer feasible. How thrilling, then we could calculate missile trajectories in the attic.

Well were are those wonderful “integrated circuits” today? WE NEVER SAW IT.

]]> By: Anne http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/19/new-solar-power-material-can-capture-every-color-of-the-rainbow/#comment-20338 Anne Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:29:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=1327#comment-20338 stinky, "Unfortunately… I am sick of this… this kind of article, this kind of leap forward. Maybe it exists, maybe it doesn’t, but it is always ten years away and we will NEVER SEE IT." You're right. When some lab dweller said he discovered what he called the "integrated circuit", it was all over the press. It was touted as the biggest discovery since the transistor and promised cheap radios and t.v.'s and perhaps could even make a household computer feasible. How thrilling, then we could calculate missile trajectories in the attic. Well were are those wonderful "integrated circuits" today? WE NEVER SAW IT. stinky,

“Unfortunately… I am sick of this… this kind of article, this kind of leap forward. Maybe it exists, maybe it doesn’t, but it is always ten years away and we will NEVER SEE IT.”

You’re right. When some lab dweller said he discovered what he called the “integrated circuit”, it was all over the press. It was touted as the biggest discovery since the transistor and promised cheap radios and t.v.’s and perhaps could even make a household computer feasible. How thrilling, then we could calculate missile trajectories in the attic.

Well were are those wonderful “integrated circuits” today? WE NEVER SAW IT.

]]> By: Tom http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/19/new-solar-power-material-can-capture-every-color-of-the-rainbow/#comment-3965 Tom Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:05:51 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=1327#comment-3965 Different "colours" of light have different colour temperatures. Like Raymond stated, different frequencies. Certain frequencies allow for a gearter harevest of light energy, in the process of turning that energy into electricity i.e. photovoltaic technology. Saying that Black absorbs more energy may be true with black holes. Solar pannels do not contian quantum singularities. Absorbing sun energy as heat to warm a liquid to run a turbine is also a different process. I'm certain the article is referring to advancements in photovoltaic tech. Different “colours” of light have different colour temperatures. Like Raymond stated, different frequencies. Certain frequencies allow for a gearter harevest of light energy, in the process of turning that energy into electricity i.e. photovoltaic technology.

Saying that Black absorbs more energy may be true with black holes. Solar pannels do not contian quantum singularities.

Absorbing sun energy as heat to warm a liquid to run a turbine is also a different process. I’m certain the article is referring to advancements in photovoltaic tech.

]]> By: Tom http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/19/new-solar-power-material-can-capture-every-color-of-the-rainbow/#comment-20337 Tom Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:05:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=1327#comment-20337 Different "colours" of light have different colour temperatures. Like Raymond stated, different frequencies. Certain frequencies allow for a gearter harevest of light energy, in the process of turning that energy into electricity i.e. photovoltaic technology. Saying that Black absorbs more energy may be true with black holes. Solar pannels do not contian quantum singularities. Absorbing sun energy as heat to warm a liquid to run a turbine is also a different process. I'm certain the article is referring to advancements in photovoltaic tech. Different “colours” of light have different colour temperatures. Like Raymond stated, different frequencies. Certain frequencies allow for a gearter harevest of light energy, in the process of turning that energy into electricity i.e. photovoltaic technology.

Saying that Black absorbs more energy may be true with black holes. Solar pannels do not contian quantum singularities.

Absorbing sun energy as heat to warm a liquid to run a turbine is also a different process. I’m certain the article is referring to advancements in photovoltaic tech.

]]> By: stinky http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/19/new-solar-power-material-can-capture-every-color-of-the-rainbow/#comment-20336 stinky Sun, 04 Jan 2009 16:45:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=1327#comment-20336 This has nothing to do with the cells being black or white. What they are referring to is the wavelength of light that penetrates the layers of the cell and is actually used to knock an electron off the anode. Right now, those wavelengths are not that large. Having a cell that allows more light frequencies to penetrate and be used is a huge leap forward. Unfortunately... I am sick of this... this kind of article, this kind of leap forward. Maybe it exists, maybe it doesn't, but it is always ten years away and we will NEVER SEE IT. This has nothing to do with the cells being black or white. What they are referring to is the wavelength of light that penetrates the layers of the cell and is actually used to knock an electron off the anode. Right now, those wavelengths are not that large.

Having a cell that allows more light frequencies to penetrate and be used is a huge leap forward.

Unfortunately… I am sick of this… this kind of article, this kind of leap forward. Maybe it exists, maybe it doesn’t, but it is always ten years away and we will NEVER SEE IT.

]]> By: stinky http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/19/new-solar-power-material-can-capture-every-color-of-the-rainbow/#comment-3964 stinky Sun, 04 Jan 2009 16:45:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=1327#comment-3964 This has nothing to do with the cells being black or white. What they are referring to is the wavelength of light that penetrates the layers of the cell and is actually used to knock an electron off the anode. Right now, those wavelengths are not that large. Having a cell that allows more light frequencies to penetrate and be used is a huge leap forward. Unfortunately... I am sick of this... this kind of article, this kind of leap forward. Maybe it exists, maybe it doesn't, but it is always ten years away and we will NEVER SEE IT. This has nothing to do with the cells being black or white. What they are referring to is the wavelength of light that penetrates the layers of the cell and is actually used to knock an electron off the anode. Right now, those wavelengths are not that large.

Having a cell that allows more light frequencies to penetrate and be used is a huge leap forward.

Unfortunately… I am sick of this… this kind of article, this kind of leap forward. Maybe it exists, maybe it doesn’t, but it is always ten years away and we will NEVER SEE IT.

]]> By: Tommy http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/19/new-solar-power-material-can-capture-every-color-of-the-rainbow/#comment-3963 Tommy Thu, 06 Nov 2008 23:48:21 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=1327#comment-3963 Perhaps they have found a way to use UV, infrared and the entire light spectrum? The entire electromagnetic spectrum? Perhaps they have found a way to use UV, infrared and the entire light spectrum? The entire electromagnetic spectrum?

]]> By: Tommy http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/19/new-solar-power-material-can-capture-every-color-of-the-rainbow/#comment-20335 Tommy Thu, 06 Nov 2008 23:48:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=1327#comment-20335 Perhaps they have found a way to use UV, infrared and the entire light spectrum? The entire electromagnetic spectrum? Perhaps they have found a way to use UV, infrared and the entire light spectrum? The entire electromagnetic spectrum?

]]> By: hexyl http://cleantechnica.com/2008/10/19/new-solar-power-material-can-capture-every-color-of-the-rainbow/#comment-3962 hexyl Tue, 21 Oct 2008 23:12:12 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=1327#comment-3962 There is a slight mis-consception. It is true that something black is reflecting no light. In the case of black solar cells even though no light is being reflected not all the light is being turned into electricity. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell Since light is a spectrum, different portions have different wavelengths and energy levels. The nature of how a solar cell caputres the enegry means that for a given doping only certain wavelengths can be converted to free electron/holes. All the other wavelengths pass through the cell without generating free electrons or convert to electrons but with a large amount of waste heat. You can layer exotic materials on a solar cell to capture different bandwidths and make the soalr cell more efficient (multi junction solar cells). The article says that "Whereas other materials only catch a small range of light frequencies, and therefore only a small fraction of the potential energy, the new invention is capable of absorbing all the energy contained in sunlight." “There are other such hybrids out there, but the advantage of our material is that we can cover the entire range of the solar spectrum.” Seems to claim that they have a super material which has a bandgap which is large enough to generate electrons from all wavelengths present in sunlight. It could just be a new type of multi junction. No specifics or physics are given. How expensive is the new material? What kind of processes do they need to make it? These details and more will determine if it can be economical for the average joe. There is a slight mis-consception. It is true that something black is reflecting no light. In the case of black solar cells even though no light is being reflected not all the light is being turned into electricity.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell

Since light is a spectrum, different portions have different wavelengths and energy levels. The nature of how a solar cell caputres the enegry means that for a given doping only certain wavelengths can be converted to free electron/holes. All the other wavelengths pass through the cell without generating free electrons or convert to electrons but with a large amount of waste heat. You can layer exotic materials on a solar cell to capture different bandwidths and make the soalr cell more efficient (multi junction solar cells).

The article says that “Whereas other materials only catch a small range of light frequencies, and therefore only a small fraction of the potential energy, the new invention is capable of absorbing all the energy contained in sunlight.” “There are other such hybrids out there, but the advantage of our material is that we can cover the entire range of the solar spectrum.”

Seems to claim that they have a super material which has a bandgap which is large enough to generate electrons from all wavelengths present in sunlight. It could just be a new type of multi junction. No specifics or physics are given.

How expensive is the new material? What kind of processes do they need to make it? These details and more will determine if it can be economical for the average joe.

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