Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin, United States, with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), are working to create solar cells that are light, flexible, efficient, and, perhaps most importantly, affordable. Brian Korgel, a nanomaterials chemist, is looking to nanotechnology to develop a solar paint that could be sprayed on roofs, walls, and even windows. “What we’re doing right now in my research group is making nanocrystals. We’re focused on ‘CIGS’–copper, indium, gallium, selenide–and we make small particles of this inorganic material that we can disperse in a solvent, creating an ink or paint,” Korgel says, adding, “So what we’re able to do is create radically new ways of depositing inorganic films to make solar cells, and so we’re trying to meet this challenge of much lower cost of manufacturing.” The team is exploring the idea of producing solar cells on a very large scale by printing them on thin, flexible sheets, with a final product that looks something like today’s shingles. The shingles could both serve as roofing material and generate electricity. Challenges, such as improving efficiency rates, and determining the best raw materials to use so that the cells can be mass produced, still need to be conquered, according to Korgel. “Everyone realizes this is a major problem, and so many people want to see it solved and are incredibly enthusiastic and supportive of the scientific and engineering community. And it’s inspiring,” says Korgel. “What it’s given me is a deep appreciation of how important this problem of meeting energy sustainability is. It drives you further on to try and meet that need.” The article can be viewed online at the link below.<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/news\/special_reports\/science_nation\/sprayonsolar.jsp<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin, United States, with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), are working […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-technology-update"],"yoast_head":"\n