New Solar Cell Invention, but Early Days at this Stage

[Ozbullwinkle]

We have a TV program here in Australia called "The New Inventors" which is really interesting to see all the different types of new inventions that people come up with.

On this weeks show there was a Physics Professor who has invented new solar cell technology which is a water based product that is just painted onto a plastic sheet that contains the circuitry. This is vastly cheaper than existing solar cell technology and has the potential with further development to be applied in the form of a paint to surfaces like roofs & why not boats? The invention is currently in the development stage but the technology is proven to work and while it's primary market would be houses and commercial buildings with future development the spinoffs for marine solar cells would be obvious.

This invention has huge potential for the future and I thought that forum members may be as interested in seeing it as I was.

Here is a link to the segment on the show:-

New Inventors: Solar Paint

BTW - This professor speaks a bit different to most of us Aussies

[forsailbyowner]

Saw the same process on Nova. Another science show

[foggysail]

There a solar panel manufacturing company somewhere in Massachusetts that uses an ink jet to spray the needed matrials onto a flexible film.

Foggy

[Ozbullwinkle]

Apparently what is different with the Australian process is that it is water based and they have patented their process so it must be different to some other similar processes that are around. The potential is great - imagine if your whole deck was painted in this material and it ALL worked as a solar panel. Sounds like some interesting times ahead.