solar energy engineering schools
Who knew that painting could be so energy efficient? Swansea University researchers are looking for a way to paint solar cells in the flexible steel surfaces in the hope of generating electricity from the process. The allegation is that this method could produce the same amount of electricity as 50 wind farms.
Dr Dave Worsley, a reader at the Center for Materials Research at the University College of Engineering has this to say:
"Corus Colors produces around 100 million square meters of building envelope of steel a year. If you've tried this with the photovoltaic material, and assuming a modest 5% energy conversion rate, then we could be looking at generating 4,500 gigawatts of electricity through solar cells per year. That's the equivalent output of roughly 50 wind farms.
Although this is really the first time that the ability of the outside of steel have been investigated, the University has high hopes for the outlook. One of the doctoral students in the Engineering Department has been exploring how sunlight interacts with paint. This examination asks for a new development – "a photovoltaic method of capturing solar energy."
Photovoltaic means that painting is capable of producing a voltage when exposed to radiant energy, especially light. Materials that Swansea is the production, they contend, more efficient at capturing low light radiation.
The University conducted the first study through a research grant from the Welsh Assembly Government of Wales Energy Research Center, allowing a large amount of data begins to accumulate. Because the study proved so successful, further £ 1.5 million project was awarded to further evaluations.
So, how to paint solar cells on steel? Desires University for this to be done through the same conventional methods that the paint is applied to the steel during manufacture – through Roller. Worsley also is exploring cost-efficient ways to make this process transpire.
