New Solar Technology would push fossil fuel energy out of the market
One of my favorite blogs The Sietch Blog has a great post on Organic Solar Cell technology.
Solar cell technology developed by the Massey University’s Nanomaterials Research Centre will enable New Zealanders to generate electricity from sunlight at a 10th of the cost of current silicon-based photo-electric solar cells.
Dr Wayne Campbell and researchers in the centre have developed a range of coloured dyes for use in dye-sensitised solar cells.
The synthetic dyes are made from simple organic compounds closely related to those found in nature. The green dye Dr Campbell (pictured) is synthetic chlorophyll derived from the light-harvesting pigment plants use for photosynthesis.
Other dyes being tested in the cells are based on haemoglobin, the compound that give blood its colour.
This is big stuff. The best way to stop burning coal is to build technology that’s cheaper. Let the market do the big lifting.
