Scientists yesterday unveiled new solar cell technology that could one day see ordinary surfaces, including windows, used to generate electricity.
Experts from the University of Leicester and Norwegian company EnSol AS joined forces to develop the thin film material, made from nanoparticles.
Once developed, it is hoped it will be used to coat anything from roof tiles to windows to produce power on a large scale.
The international team met at the university to launch their collaboration and will go on to try to develop and refine the basic concept.
Professor of Nanotechnology Chris Binns said the material was designed by EnSol but used nanoparticles synthesised in Leicester.
He said the original discovery was made by Phil Denby, now technical manager of the Norwegian-based company.
“He happened to know we had probably one of the best bits of kit in the world for producing this material,” he said.
“He contacted me, we got together and they invested some money so we now have probably the ideal facility for producing this material.”
He said the material was based on a new principle different from previous solar cells made with semi-conductors, often silicone.
“It’s a material, a new type of solar cell based on a different principle to existing technology which at the moment is based on semi-conductor materials,” he said.
“It was a chance discovery that this material, based on the optical properties of nanoparticles, can produce electricity from light.
“The active ingredients are metal nanoparticles. These are particles that are 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair and they have special optical properties which means we can convert the light into electricity.
“It’s been a while figuring out how it works but it’s a completely new principle for converting light into electrical energy.”
Once the technology is proved, the next step is to scale up the operation to produce it on a large scale, he said, and today EnSol said it hopes to develop it commercially by 2016.
“Then anything that faces the sun could be coated with the new material,” Prof. Binns said.
“One of the key advantages is that it is a transparent thin film that can be coated on to window glass so that windows in buildings can also become power generators.
“Obviously some light has to be absorbed in order to generate power but the windows would just have a slight tinting.
“Conversely the structural material of the building can also be coated with a higher degree of absorption. This could be side panels of the building itself, or even in the form of ‘clip-together’ solar roof tiles.
“Also since it is a thin film that can be coated on to large areas it could become very much cheaper than conventional devices.
“Photovoltaics are destined to form a key power generating method as part of a low carbon economy and the new technology will bring that a stage closer.”
Prof. Binns said other companies had worked on “thin film” solar cells, but he said the new nanoparticle technology was more efficient and more environmentally friendly.
“The bottom line is that this should be safer, cheaper and more efficient and it’s a coatable thin film,” he added.