Solar Power Sees a Big Improvement

I lose sleep over knowing that our days of fossil fuels are numbered. And while I am pleased to see continued research into renewable power like biofuel, wind, and even wave power, I've pretty much got all my hopes riding on solar energy saving us. Last time I checked, it ain't gettin' any darker out there. Of course, solar's got problems. Has for years. It's expensive and cells are notoriously inefficient, to the point where many installations just aren't worth their initial investment and use of land space. But the threat of $4 gallons of gas has people thinking differently about solar, and improvements look like they're on the horizon. The latest: A New Zealand university has developed solar cells that don't need direct sunlight to charge and can be embedded into just about any material instead of those old-school panels. Stuff.co.nz has the story.

The secret involves synthetic, organic dyes that mimic the way plant cells capture and use sunlight. The dyes pass the energy on to other materials. which means they can be used in all kinds of applications. The story mentions window glass, roofing materials, and even jackets that absorb sunlight to generate power. The dye is made from titanium oxide, a relatively abundant substance that's said to be environmentally friendly.

I've been around long enough to know not to get my hopes up when revolutionary technologies like this are announced, but it sounds like there's no downside to this dye. Can't wait to see if anything comes of it. Members Only jackets with self-powered LEDs, anyone?

LINK: Solar power breakthrough at Massey