Your sweater the new solar panel

Found this article about a new plastic that will work as a solar panel to absorb energy and could be placed on clothing.
www.ctv.ca...

New plastic can better convert solar energy
Canadian Press

TORONTO — Researchers at the University of Toronto have invented an infrared-sensitive material that's five times more efficient at turning the sun's power into electrical energy than current methods.

The discovery could lead to shirts and sweaters capable of recharging our cellphones and other wireless devices, said Ted Sargent, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the university.

Sargent and other researchers combined specially-designed minute particles called quantum dots, three to four nanometres across, with a polymer to make a plastic that can detect energy in the infrared.

TORONTO — Researchers at the University of Toronto have invented an infrared-sensitive material that's five times more efficient at turning the sun's power into electrical energy than current methods.

The energy conversion effieciency of Solar Panels are anywhere from 8% (Amorphous) - 21% (Monocrystalline). These are made of silicon crystals doped with certain elements (Gallium and Boron I beleive, I forgot). I have no idea how a plastic panel works, but I can see that the new ones aren't much more efficient than a monocrystalline panel. Yet, if they're cheaper, than they would be a great breakthrough.

huh, I dont know how it is in Canada, but here in the US, we dont wear plastic shirts.

I would think this would be a bigger deal for vehicles then for shirts.

Originally posted by Murcielago
huh, I dont know how it is in Canada, but here in the US, we dont wear plastic shirts.

I would think this would be a bigger deal for vehicles then for shirts.

Well it does have "Hippie" appeal. I agree it will be much bigger for vehicles, but I also hear that outdoorsie stores are very interested, especially the ones that deal with hiking, mountain climbing and deep powder mountain skiing. Be able to charge up you cell phone, gps etc on the fly. Granted it would't be that much power as these devices are hugely inefficient....

Also, for those that are wondering, the average insolation of the earth is .97 kw/s/m2. Meaning, every meter squared is applied with .97 kilowatts per second. Of course this is an average. Some areas have an insolation of 5. But all of these measurements are at noon time, when the sun is perpendicular with the relative piece of land, and there are no clouds or dust or blockage of any sort. I had a list with average insolation measurements, but, I lost it.

[edit on 1-9-2005 by WaStEdDeAtH777]

Originally posted by Murcielago
huh, I dont know how it is in Canada, but here in the US, we dont wear plastic shirts.

I would think this would be a bigger deal for vehicles then for shirts.

A lot of your cloths are nylon or other synthetic materials and I believe this would be a coating maybe to your cuffs or collor

colsislander
A lot of your cloths are nylon or other synthetic materials and I believe this would be a coating maybe to your cuffs or collor

but plastic is hard, and I wouldn't want to feel like i'm wearing hand cuffs and a dog collar all day long.

Originally posted by Murcielago

colsislander
A lot of your cloths are nylon or other synthetic materials and I believe this would be a coating maybe to your cuffs or collor

but plastic is hard, and I wouldn't want to feel like i'm wearing hand cuffs and a dog collar all day long.

Well if its woven into Nylon(Hint hint Nano ) then it would probably feel like a regular nylon shirt. I wear em all the time it doesn't feel like wearing handcuffs or dog collar As for the Hard flexible solar panels I totally agree with you. The Nanotech type that are being worked on can be woven. It's pretty cool stuff I'll try to find the link..