MIT engineers have created a new more efficient solar panel to harness the power of the sun. The “solar concentrator” works by directing solar energy toward the edges of a panel. A mixture of dyes is painted onto a glass or plastic pane. The edges of the panel are fitting with solar cells. These dyes absorb light across a range of wavelengths and then re-emit them at different wavelengths along the pane to cells waiting at the edges. The focused light increases the electrical power obtained by each cell by over a factor of 40.

Since the solar cells are only placed around the edges of a panel, the system is very inexpensive. Furthermore, these dyes can be applied to existing solar cells to increase their efficiency by up to 50%. The engineering team believes that due to the ease of manufacture, that this technology could be implemented within three years.

One day in the not too distant future imagine office buildings designed with mostly glass to allow ambient light in thus reducing power consumption. Each one of those panels also serves as a solar concentrator also reducing the net power consumption of the building. With these advances it is easy to see the future is bright indeed.

Pura vida,
Nick