Carbon nanotube solar cells point to possible transparent solar window future
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A researcher from Adelaide's Flinders University has developed a prototype solar cell that uses a layer of transparent carbon nanotubes sandwiched between conductive glass to collect solar energy
The trade off between transparency and the ability to harvest light means that even the best cells in the lab are only just approaching one percent efficiency
Dr Mark Bissett working on the carbon nanotube solar cell
Article Summary
Imagine if every window of the 828-meter (2,717-foot) high Burj Khalifa in Dubai was capable of generating electricity just like a PV panel. That's the promise of solar window technology like the RSi and Sphelar cells systems. Rather than using costly silicon for window-based collection of solar energy, Dr Mark Bissett proposes using a very thin layer of carbon nanotubes instead.
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