Solar Dyes Boost Photovoltaic Cells!

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   When I was a teenager, I was daydreaming one day, and came up with a way to increase the amount of light that fell on photovoltaic cells, basically a series of lenses mounted above the cell.  About ten years later I heard of a device created by NASA that did the same thing, although they used fresnel lenses instead of glass lenses. The other day, remembering my invention, I did a Google patent search and found numerous similar ideas.

Well it seems American scientist have taken the concept to a whole new level.  The new technique involves coating glass with a specific mixture of transparent dyes which redirect light to photovoltaic cells in the frame.

It’s claimed that the new technique could be used to turn glass buildings into vast energy plants.

The team at MIT believe it could improve conventional cells by as much as 50%.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7501476.stm

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MartinW Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator in Command Joined: 31 Mar 2008 Location: United Kingdom Points: 26722	Post Options Post Reply Quote MartinW Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Solar Dyes Boost Photovoltaic Cells! Posted: 11 Jul 2008 at 7:12pm
	When I was a teenager, I was daydreaming one day, and came up with a way to increase the amount of light that fell on photovoltaic cells, basically a series of lenses mounted above the cell. About ten years later I heard of a device created by NASA that did the same thing, although they used fresnel lenses instead of glass lenses. The other day, remembering my invention, I did a Google patent search and found numerous similar ideas. Well it seems American scientist have taken the concept to a whole new level. The new technique involves coating glass with a specific mixture of transparent dyes which redirect light to photovoltaic cells in the frame. It’s claimed that the new technique could be used to turn glass buildings into vast energy plants. The team at MIT believe it could improve conventional cells by as much as 50%. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7501476.stm