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Solar Solution

Bill M
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A new hybrid material has been discovered that could bring solar cell efficiency to nearly 100 percent. The material, accidentally discovered by researchers at Ohio State University while using supercomputers to conduct molecular research, is a hybrid of plastic, titanium, and molybdenum. The material is able to capture and convert nearly 100 percent of the sunlight that it absorbs into usable energy. Such a leap in efficiency is nearly double that of current solar cell capabilities.

 

Story suggested by Bridget Algiere

 

Creative Commons Image : Sun by jalalspages on Flickr

 

 

 

Comments

Behold the power of the sun

Submitted by CarbonTranscender on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 03:47.
WOO! for Ohio. This is awesome to hear. Maybe this will help stop the coal-liquid plant in eastern Ohio. Maybe we can begin to run our societies on the life and energy around us instead of death and decay from 300 million years ago.

Hosanna Hosanna!

Submitted by Pieter on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 06:39.
Now lets prevent private interest from patenting this technology and preventing it from becoming common practice.

Om.

Submitted by Terranhealer on Thu, 12/18/2008 - 11:56.
Well at east molybdenum is the 25th most abundant element on earth. However, they may need that liquid coal plant to fuel to extraction of molybdenum and titanium from rocks. Most new technologies do not replace old technologies over night just as new cultures do not replace old cultures over night. But this story put a smile on my face.

Ra

Submitted by McNuggetz on Fri, 12/19/2008 - 08:46.
The amount of solar energy striking the planet in one hour is more energy than world uses in one year. The Sun is and always has been the greatest source of free energy. This new discovery has unlimited potential, just like America.

efficiency leaps

Submitted by Bridget Algiere on Mon, 01/05/2009 - 19:25.
completely rocks!!! Like going from a CD player to MP3s.

"The only thing constant in life is change" -François de la Rochefoucauld