Deposition Chamber Testing
Okay, maybe not quite so basic as Solar in a Can, but… spray on solar is not as crazy as it sounds!
Cementing themselves as a creative thinker in the solar panel technology industry is Norwegian company EnSol, which has patented a prototype thin film solar cell technology designed to be sprayed onto any glass surface. These guys are paving the way for new ideas that, if implemented with part science and part sci-fi, could easily replace the bulky solar panels adorning rooftops across the country.
I’m going to geek out for a moment so be warned…
Where EnSol breaks the mold is by using metal nanoparticles embedded in transparent composite matrix, opposed to the traditional silicone-based solar cells. EnSol has taken their huge tech and is teaming up with the University of Leicester’s Department of Physics & Astronomy. They are hoping this collaboration could push the idea forward and give it real-world commercial production by 2016. It will likely be expensive as hell, and hold mainly in the commercial market for a few years… but it’s exciting to know that we could potentially have this in our homes during our lifetime.
