NJIT Proposes Printable Solar Cells

Researchers at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) have developed an inexpensive solar cell that can be painted or printed on flexible plastic sheets. “The process is simple,” said lead researcher and author Somenath Mitra, PhD, professor and acting chair of NJIT’s Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences. “Someday homeowners will even be able to print sheets of these solar cells with inexpensive home-based inkjet printers. Consumers can then slap the finished product on a wall, roof or billboard to create their own power stations.”

“Fullerene single wall carbon nanotube complex for polymer bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells,” featured as the June 21, 2007 cover story of the Journal of Materials Chemistry published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, details the process. The Society, based at Oxford University, is the British equivalent of the American Chemical Society.

Harvesting energy directly from abundant solar radiation using solar cells is increasingly emerging as a major component of future global energy strategy, said Mitra. Yet, when it comes to harnessing renewable energy, challenges remain. Expensive, large-scale infrastructures such as wind mills or dams are necessary to drive renewable energy sources, such as wind or hydroelectric power plants. Purified silicon, also used for making computer chips, is a core material for fabricating conventional solar cells. However, the processing of a material such as purified silicon is beyond the reach of most consumers.

“Developing organic solar cells from polymers, however, is a cheap and potentially simpler alternative,” said Mitra. “We foresee a great deal of interest in our work because solar cells can be inexpensively printed or simply painted on exterior building walls and/or roof tops. Imagine some day driving in your hybrid car with a solar panel painted on the roof, which is producing electricity to drive the engine. The opportunities are endless.”

The science goes something like this. When sunlight falls on an organic solar cell, the energy generates positive and negative charges. If the charges can be separated and sent to different electrodes, then a current flows. If not, the energy is wasted. Link cells electronically and the cells form what is called a panel, like the ones currently seen on most rooftops. The size of both the cell and panels vary. Cells can range from 1 millimeter to several feet; panels have no size limits.

The solar cell developed at NJIT uses a carbon nanotubes complex, which by the way, is a molecular configuration of carbon in a cylindrical shape. The name is derived from the tube’s miniscule size. Scientists estimate nanotubes to be 50,000 times smaller than a human hair. Nevertheless, just one nanotube can conduct current better than any conventional electrical wire. “Actually, nanotubes are significantly better conductors than copper,” Mitra added.

Mitra and his research team took the carbon nanotubes and combined them with tiny carbon Buckyballs (known as fullerenes) to form snake-like structures. Buckyballs trap electrons, although they can’t make electrons flow. Add sunlight to excite the polymers, and the buckyballs will grab the electrons. Nanotubes, behaving like copper wires, will then be able to make the electrons or current flow.

“Using this unique combination in an organic solar cell recipe can enhance the efficiency of future painted-on solar cells,” said Mitra. “Someday, I hope to see this process become an inexpensive energy alternative for households around the world.”

Astralux Hosts Seminars on Benefits of Solar Power

(Boulder, CO – July 20, 2007) – With generous state rebates and increasing public concern over environmental issues, the interest in renewable energies is quickly growing. However, knowledge about these eco-friendly alternatives is still limited. To remedy this information gap, Astralux has recently launched the “Solar Energy Opportunities in Colorado” seminar series. Astralux energy experts visit local businesses and give a brief presentation on the benefits and possibilities of solar energy and other popular renewable energies.

This seminar is designed to educate local companies and their employees about the current energy situation, its financial and environmental impacts, and how renewable energies can help to ameliorate the growing energy concerns of our nation and the world. Participants also learn about the process of integrating solar energy into their home or business, the costs, and the environmental and financial benefits of doing so.

According to Dr. Rande Treece, CEO and President of Astralux, “Colorado is one of only a few states to adopt widespread rebates and incentives for solar energy, yet a great majority of Coloradans are unaware of this unique opportunity. We hope that with this seminar we can reach out to the local community and spread the word of affordable renewable energy.”

The presentation is usually conducted around the lunch hour and often lasts anywhere from 15-45 minutes. Lunch is provided for attendees.

“The presentation was very informative,” says Dr. Michael Cromar of Phiar Corporation, “our employees were excited to hear more information about solar energy, and the turnout was quite high.”

“As a tax advisor, I was impressed by the enormous tax incentives for adopting photovoltaic technology, especially in the commercial sector,” says James Casart, CPA of Karsh and Company. “This presentation provided a clear and precise overview of these incentives.”

If you would like Astralux to give this seminar at your company, please call (303) 995-0891 or e-mail info@AESsolarenergy.com.