On November 2, 2009, Georgia Tech announced news on their current research on photovoltaic (or PV, the field of study for the application of solar energy) methods and options. A team of researchers, led by a Regents professor of Tech’s School of Materials Science and Engineering Zhong Lin Wang, have discovered that they can make what they call a “three-dimensional solar cell.”
Georgia Tech’s new method involves growing zinc oxide nanostructures on optical fibers and coating them in dye-sensitized materials that will convert the absorbed sunlight to electricity. “Using this technology, we can make photovoltaic generators that are foldable, concealed and mobile,” said Wang. Eventually, it may be possible to hide the traditionally bulky and unsightly solar cells out of the way, like within walls.
Generally speaking, presently available solar cells have a lot of undesirable aspects that engineers everywhere have been trying to alleviate. Solar cells are often bulky and they must necessarily (for the most part) be placed in open spaces, directly exposed to light, such as roofs.
In the end, though, Wang doesn’t expect to see his PV methods to explode onto the scene for all energy needs, but insists upon the importance of having a variety of PV options for a more sustainable future.
The study was published in the October 22 edition of the journal Angewandte Chemie International, and has been funded and supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the KAUST Global Research Partnership and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
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