Breakthrough Efficient, Paintable Solar Cells

An anonymous reader writes "A new solar cell material has been discovered that converts 30% of the sun's energy to electricity." Here's another solar news story. These new cells can harness infrared light which is why they are so much more efficient.

Excellent...

[inkdesign]

.. as I've really been burnt up about the lost energy from my remote controls!

Woo

[grub]

So if I spray that on my tinfoil hat and run a couple of leads to my laptop I could have unlimited power!

wow!

[Savage Conan]

If this pans out this could change the energy economy in this country. Not to mention the benefit third world countries could get from it. Imagine your grafitti powering your laptop.

We're gonna need all that electricity...

[razmaspaz]

converts 30% of the sun's energy to electricity.

We are gonna need all that electricity because if the sun is 30% smaller than it was before this thing our heating bills are gonna go way up!

Question from the wife of the future

[Anonymous Coward]

Does this recharging unit make my ass look big?

No way...

[Anonymous Coward]

The film has the ability to be sprayed or woven into shirts so that our cuffs or collars could recharge our IPods, Sargent said.

Hmmm, I assume this means that I have to go outside?

Re:How much $$$?

[l810c]

I DID RTFA, why in the hell do you think I asked the question?

Usually articles such as this, regardless of their source, contain some form of economic feasability statement etc.

Re:How much $$$?

[Anonymous Coward]

"every home having their southerly facing
side painted with this stuff"

Some of us live in the Southern hemisphere you insensitive clod!

Re:Woo

[Anonymous Coward]

So if I spray that on my tinfoil hat and run a couple of leads to my laptop I could have unlimited power!

But is it worth the risks? If I undrstood the article correctly you'd have to go outside...

Interesting quote

[one9nine]

"When you have a material advance which literally materially changes the way that energy is absorbed and transmitted to our devices... somebody out there tinkering away in a bedroom or in a government lab is going to come up with a great idea for a new device that will shock us all," he said in a phone interview.

I hope he means "shock us all" figurativley.

Carnak: Resistance is Futile?

[Anonymous Coward]

What did the borg say to the room-temperature superconductor?

Meeting with Venture Capatalist

[frostfreek]

Sargent: "the new plastic composite is, in layman's terms, a layer of film that "catches'' solar energy. "

VC: looks sceptical
Sargent: "ummm, with the laser beams, umm, clayven"
VC: inks the contract

Re:POTENTIAL 30%, not actual

[Hyksos]

I just hate it when I see an article like this... I get about 5 seconds of renewed hope in a BIG scientific breakthrough before I think to myself: "Alright, let's see someone tear this thing to pieces in the comments". Not that I'm complaining, I usually learn more from these comments than the actual article :)

Semantic Error

[jfonseca]

A new solar cell material has been discovered that converts 30% of the sun's energy to electricity.

That is so obviously wrong. I have not RTA but I can't help but point out that it should read "converts 30% of the perceived sunlight into electricity".

Cuz if you need a sure-fire way to fry Earth that'd be to convert 30% of the sun's energy to electricity down here.

Re:Woo

[Cheerio Boy]

So if I spray that on my tinfoil hat and run a couple of leads to my laptop I could have unlimited power!

Nope. The spray is a quantum tracking dye that allows them to focus their mind control rays more closely on people like you comrade!

Please stay calm while a Homeland Security team comes to your aid to show you the greatness of Amerika!

Conspiracy!

[Dan East]

So, how long before this new tech disappears forever after being bought out by the power companies? Remember that carburetor that lets gasoline engines burn water? I hear some Detroit auto-maker bought the design and buried it away for good. ;)

Dan East

Re:POTENTIAL 30%, not actual

[IpalindromeI]

I feel I can safely say there just aren't any magic bullets to this problem.

But did you see Underworld? They had bullets that trapped UV radiation. I think if we could develop those, we could kill off all the vampires and solve the world's energy problems. The bullets wouldn't even have to be magic.

Re:Woo

[budgenator]

I'd just like to watch you strip the insulation and solder the wires coming out of a 1 nM solar cell!