The concept of solar energy is not a new one in the topic of alternative energy. The greatest source of energy already partakes in major energy providing processes in the natural world and we are just about getting to economically harnessing this unlimited universal source of energy. Solar panels are arrangements of solar cells which have been designed to harness the sun’s rays and convert it into solar energy.
The “big” problem we have always had with solar energy is that the system is fairly inefficient; it requires a lot of solar cells to produce a little bit on electricity. So basically constant research is always being done to improve the efficiency of solar panels and fairly recently Santa Barbara’s Solar3D, Inc. came up with a new design in solar panels than greatly improves the conversion of solar energy into electrical energy and also decrease the cost of mass production of the panels and make the whole process a whole lot more economical.
The new design that was developed by the scientists has basically solved the major problem of the 2-dimensional panels, making the 3-D panels a whole lot more efficient. It traps sunlight in the 3-dimensional structures where the photons from the light rays are converted into electrons; the design significantly reduces the loss of electron problem that hinders the 2D solar cells. The CEO has assured that this development will revolutionize the world current state in solar power and will act as a major keystone in the development of more innovations in the industry.
To prove the intensity of the research going on in the scientific community on the topic of 3-D solar cells, recently, a 3-D solar cell design was developed such that the solar cell is able to be located underground and still have access to sunlight to be able to generate electricity. The system transfers sunlight to the concealed solar cell , the system uses optical fibres, these optical fibres are similar to the fibres used in telecommunication.
The researchers, using zinc oxide nanostructures which were coated with dye-sensitive materials, were able to convert the light into electrical energy. The nanostructures are surrounded by a liquid electrolyte, which captures the electricity. This amazing system enables the solar cell to be completely concealed underground and allows only the end of the optical fibers to be in contact with direct sunlight.
The new design leaves rooftops free of panels and gives room for new architectural designs on solar powered buildings. The absence of the constrictive use of panels makes this a popular and innovative design. The constant research is yielding fruit and there is definitely room for solar power in the future of alternative energy. We can’t wait to get there.