Korean Job Discussion Forums

gang ah jee · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: city of paper

Solar power breakthrough at Massey
By MERVYN DYKES - Manawatu Standard | Thursday, 5 April 2007

New solar cells developed by Massey University don't need direct sunlight to operate and use a patented range of dyes that can be impregnated in roofs, window glass and eventually even clothing to produce power.

This means teenagers could one day be wearing jackets that will recharge their equivalents of cellphones, iPods and other battery- driven devices.

The breakthrough is a development of the university's Nanomaterials Research Centre and has attracted world-wide interest already - particularly from Australia and Japan.

Researchers at the centre have developed a range of synthetic dyes from simple organic compounds closely related to those found in nature, where light-harvesting pigments are used by plants for photosynthesis.

"This is a proof-of-concept cell," said researcher Wayne Campbell, pointing to a desktop demonstration model.

"Within two to three years we will have developed a prototype for real applications. "The technology could be sold off already, but it would be a shame to get rid of it now."

Article continues here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4017784a11.html

Maybe not much potential for discussion here (although I'm sure we could get a fight started if we tried), but apparently this technique is a whole lot cheaper and requires a lot less infrastructure than silicon-based solar technology. Here's hoping it works out.

(I should add that I've always thought of Massey University doing nothing but breeding better sheep. Boy, is my face red now.)

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

freethought · Joined: 13 Mar 2005

the world needs better sheep... don't knock sheep.

igotthisguitar · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:58 pm Post subject:

Cool!

ONE WORD:

Matrix-i-fication

gang ah jee · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: city of paper

igotthisguitar · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 10:09 pm Post subject:

I'd answer your question, as i like to be a pretty direct "no-bullshit" kinda dude,
but these new supercomputer walls are alive ... & effectively "monitoring" the situation.

What's the frequency Kenneth? Wink

gang ah jee · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: city of paper

Manner of Speaking · Joined: 09 Jan 2003

Actually conventional solar panels can operate at up to 75% efficiency on cloudy days - direct sunlight isn't a prerequisite - but it's an interesting article nontheless.

Junior · Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Location: the eye

Could you power whole cities with it?

gang ah jee · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: city of paper

Manner of Speaking · Joined: 09 Jan 2003

gang ah jee · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: city of paper

Apparently the black dots represent the area of (silicon) solar cells you'd need to power the world at its present energy usage:

http://www.ez2c.de/ml/solar_land_area/

"Solar power systems installed in the areas defined by the dark disks could provide a little more than the world's current total primary energy demand (assuming a conversion efficiency of 8%). That is, all energy currently consumed, including heat, electricity, fossil fuels, etc., would be produced in the form of electricity by solar cells. The colors in the map show the local solar irradiance averaged over three years from 1991 to 1993 (24 hours a day) taking into account the cloud coverage available from weather satellites."

Manner of Speaking · Joined: 09 Jan 2003

Some of those spots look pretty big...the one in the Sahara desert looks bigger than Ireland...but I think there are some countries that have the feasibility to go "totally solar". In Canada, if per capita electricity efficiency was as high as it is in Japan, we could close all of our fossil fuel stations, all of our nuclear power stations...and provide for all of our electricity needs just on our EXISTING hydroelectric dams.

gang ah jee · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: city of paper