Also Work The Night: Infrared Solar Panels Efficiency As High As 80%

The most expensive, most sophisticated, most complex conversion efficiency of solar panels to about 40%, which is only 40% absorption of sunlight can be converted into electricity. Scientists think that in the little room efficiency instead focus on reducing costs in the United States Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for a cheap, folding infrared solar panels, and the highest conversion efficiency up 80%.

The new panel is the key to the use of nano-technology. Its surface covered a nano-miniature antenna array, and add thickness of the 1000 atomic conductive metal wire can capture infrared radiation, even in the evening can also continue to work.

Nano-technology research in general are staying in the centimetre level, but INL go to the micron level, within each box integrates 260 million ultra-miniature antenna.

More commendable is that the use of the folding plastic materials also very easy to make, so scientists believe that this technology can be quickly out of the laboratory, and ultimately bring cheap and efficient solar power programme.

The only regret is that, while Nano antenna in the sun will release a great deal of electronic, but it's no way these electronic capture, output power is not. INL is the current practice in nanotechnology in the implantation of a miniature antenna capacitor, or AC / DC converters, which hopes to take the capture of energy, and will not increase costs, loss of efficiency.

Source: 驱动之家 Feb. 3, 2008