MIT Makes a Super Thin Solar Cell That Can Turn Any Surface into a Power Plant
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- čas přidán 30. 09. 2023
- MIT engineers have achieved a significant advancement in solar technology by creating an ultralight fabric solar cell. These cells, much thinner than a human hair and weighing only one-hundredth the weight of standard solar panels, can transform almost any surface into a power source. Remarkably, they produce 18 times more power-per-kilogram compared to traditional solar panels due to the use of semiconducting inks and scalable printing processes.
The new generation of these solar cells is produced using electronic inks and are entirely printable. They are constructed using a slot-die coater to deposit nanomaterial layers onto a 3-micron thick substrate. The final solar module, after adding an electrode through screen printing, is about 15 microns thick. However, these modules are fragile, leading MIT to use Dyneema, a super-strong fabric, as a substrate. Adhering the solar cells to Dyneema with UV-curable glue results in a durable, lightweight solar structure.
In tests, these cells on Dyneema generated about 370 watts-per-kilogram, 18 times more than conventional solar cells. Their lightweight nature implies a smaller ecological footprint compared to traditional solar panels, reducing solar waste. Moreover, they maintained over 90% of their power generation capability after being rolled and unrolled 500 times. Challenges remain in protecting them from environmental damage, and the team is exploring ultrathin packaging solutions.
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It's a great descovery in solar industries.✌️👏👏
Now if MIT can keep the Chinese from stealing this IP it would be great.
If the government gets the patent, it will give it to the DOE and they will freely give it to the CCP. One of their deputy directors reported that all their patents go to China.
It is important for emission reduction and benefits all humanity, nationalism will kill you
😂😂😂😂 facts
If they were ever made it would be on China and shipped back to the US 😭 that's how manufacturing works for something without massive backing😊
@@reapertown9267 Including a battery technology more advanced and safer them lithium. We did I pull back the patent that would have allowed them to market it. That didn’t keep them from using the technology though.
nice. Just hope to make it into the market. a lot of this proyects just get as good Ideas.
Developing something in labs and doing mass production on it efficiently are two different things. We have seen many successful experiments that have yet to make it to the market.
What about the power per square metre? That's also crazy important
Im proud to be a engineer 🙂
OK then do the maths on this: Solar power tech is amazing, but running a civilisation on it is suicidal because they will not work very well during the next volcanic winter, and that really is just a matter of when and not if it will happen. +2 years of winter level sunlight even in the height of summer (far worse in actual winter) will see a great reduction in electricity generation right when there is a large spike in demand to deal with the cold and to raise food crops using LED lighting in heated green houses. Billions of people will be at risk of death from the cold or starvation as the entire global food production system collapses. This is not speculation, it is 100% guaranteed to happen, we just don't know how to predict the timing, or how to stop it, so all we can do is adapt now by maximising the use of all forms of nuclear power which will actually become more efficient in colder weather.
@@DanielSMatthews you are not taking into account the enormous amount of surplus energy that will be generated if this is true. then that surplus can be stored as in gravity battery or water battery. plus your fearful concept of volcanic apocalypse has been for around 1000 years. nothing happened. so chill.
@@DanielSMatthewswhat solar is often mixed with wind and battery storage to make it work year round.
In the case of winter they have systems that self clean with heat and scrubs.
Plus electricity is ran through multiple city's at once. So if one powerplant dies another from another town takes over
@@reapertown9267 LOL, I was serious, actually do the maths, and clearly you didn't. You are in for a slow, cold, and hungry death if you don't wake up and make your power sources more resilient.
@@DanielSMatthews It's guaranteed to happen. ... IN the next million years or so lol. That's the part you don't mention...
Ive been waiting and saying "i dont believe solar is near what it could be, and im not buying into it until it gets better." I think soon ill be more enthusiastic, i was worried id never see the day considering Moores Law, but i am hopeful again due to this.
The new paint job on your 2029 Camry charges your car while its parked at work...on a sunny day.
3:16 This is untrue, regular old solar panels can be recycled.
18 times more powerful than a traditional panel. That is amazing when it goes for manufacturing.
Power per kg, there's a catch.
I hope it goes like that in Indonesia... clean energy
Even Casio calculator solar cells are similar to this.
What's their power to surface area?
I guess that is a figure not to brag about. If the film is like 10x10 cm, and let's say 2 gramms, then 5 sq meters produce 300W, which means it requires at least 3 times more space needed. Also this thin film will surely get damaged by hailstorm. But if my estimation is too big for this 10x10 cm cell, then the math is even worse.
@@Daikini0 I estimated 5-10x less energy density
@@sadface7457 could be, later on I found the fabric itself. It's 35 gramms per sq meters. 28 sq meters needed for a kilo. That produces 370 W. Costs like USD 1200
It is Perovskite base solar cell, main problem lifertime +- 1 year. It is nothing new it was published on the subject since 2009. Few factories in Europe already built and working on few projects with building facades.
Anyway good work MIT, maybe you can expand the lifetime.....
Watts per kg seems like a pretty deceptive variable to use for comparison. It leads me to believe they an appreciably lower power collection rating based on surface area, which as a potential user, is my main constraint. I guess that's why the use case scenarios are for tents, clothes, and stickers and not rooftops
It will be expensive for that. ~30 USD is for the material only, excluding the printing, and all the processes. If we estimate only 45 USD for sq meter, and check the material (~35 gramms/sq meter), it means good 30 sq meters produce 370W, for the price of USD 1300, regular 400W panel costs USD 230, and takes up space of 2 sq meters.
Cost efficiency: ~1/5
Surface efficiency: ~1/15
No cost efficient energy storage and metallic no room temperature superconductor means increasing renewables will just lead to power outages.
Still waiting for the damn graphene hype shit
Watch and believe! These were used in a house build in the Grand Designs series: North Cotswolds 2023 - shown 08/11/23 ♥UK
Thin and thick
I hope they could make it cheaper and much more durable than a conventional solar panel
Just imagine the roof of a hybrid car covered with this material.In countries with a lot of sunny days per year that would be such a great saving in fuels and in carbon footprint.Best regards.
Bring those Solar stickers to my land. Here Eggs fallen in roads becomes omlette😂😂
DAYUM
Dove li trovo ?
But can it be used as sails on boats?
CZcams cc can add subtitles but original subtitle is better. please 🙏 add subtitle.
What is their lifetime? Square feet per watt?
not much +- 1 year, conting from the time of printing....
The future is coming.
To really make a breakthrough and offer a reliable, abundant and cheap source of energy alternative to fossil fuels, similar innovation in batteries energy storage is required.
This is the end of energy crisis.... When this come in to mass produktion we will all get almost free energy.
Now in America well will make it a million dollars please 😂
👍 space citi the future.
Hint. Half the time it’s dark outside. And much of the rest of the time it’s cloudy. How many watts per area?
Weird, where is everyone?
@Ferocious_Of_The_Forfeit_Cat Look behind you
@@richardh8082 Oh yeah, invisible Entities. Thanks. Sorry I didn't realize.
@@Ferocious_Cat S'ok. Happens to us invisible entities all the time
@@richardh8082 what's your personal perspective bout it?
@@Ferocious_Cat they should use perspex is my perspective but then I am not a serious person per se
Cream to Chinese solar maker
Please 🙏 add subtitle please 🙏🙏
Why are you addressing technological developments from 5 years ago now?
Cost in money...? Just the material.. not the sunlight.. once the material is on.. like the brim on a hat...it's paid for.. no further on going cost per b.s. hour..🎉
Basic question: what is this revolutionary technology based on? ?
Are these perovskite cells?
If these are perovskites, this is nothing new, perovskites have disadvantages - a very short lifespan.
GOSH!
Is this really true or just a concept for funding rounds?
anyone please answer.
bcoz if its true then fossil fuels will quickly become irrelevant. am i right on this?
Solar power tech is amazing, but running a civilisation on it is suicidal because they will not work very well during the next volcanic winter, and that really is just a matter of when and not if it will happen. +2 years of winter level sunlight even in the height of summer (far worse in actual winter) will see a great reduction in electricity generation right when there is a large spike in demand to deal with the cold and to raise food crops using LED lighting in heated green houses. Billions of people will be at risk of death from the cold or starvation as the entire global food production system collapses. This is not speculation, it is 100% guaranteed to happen, we just don't know how to predict the timing, or how to stop it, so all we can do is adapt now by maximising the use of all forms of nuclear power which will actually become more efficient in colder weather.
@interestingengineering Please link sources