• Solar fiber for photovoltaic textiles

  • photovoltaic-fiber.jpg Konarka, the number one flexible solar malarial maker from US has made another significant step towards photovoltaic (solar) textiles. An article on Science Magazine discusses how a wire format requires long-distance transport of current that can be achieved only with the help of conventional metals and thus eliminating the use of transparent oxide semiconductors. Stainless steel wires the thicknesses of a human hair of around 100 micron get a three layer coat to form a organic solar cell. A second wire just 50 microns thick is coated with silver paste for the secondary electrode. These two wires are inter-winded and coated in a clear polymer coat for protection and insulation. This will help in harvesting 3% of the light into electrical energy. The first prototypes are several hundred feet long and can be woven into textiles or other power generation clothing. I don’t know if you can wash it or whether you will get a shock if you are drenched in rain. Since it’s just a prototype, probably when the real thing comes out they would have figured out that by then.

    Posted in Topics:Alternative Energy, Tags: , on July 7, 2009