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Showing posts from January 3, 2010

New Developments in Photovoltaic

Every hour, enough sunlight reaches the earth to meet the entire planet’s energy demands for a full year. Through the use of photovoltaic cells, solar energy can be converted directly into electricity. A photovoltaic cell is a non-mechanical device usually made from silicon alloys. Now there have been new developments that these cells are as small as glitter. Imagine something as small as a snowflake being able to produce electricity for your business? From Scientific Computing Sandia National Laboratories scientists have developed tiny glitter-sized photovoltaic cells that could revolutionize the way solar energy is collected and used. The tiny cells could turn a person into a walking solar battery charger if they were fastened to flexible substrates molded around unusual shapes, such as clothing. The solar particles, fabricated of crystalline silicon, hold the potential for a variety of new applications. They are expected eventually to be less expensive and have greater efficiencies