MIT Develops Self-Repairing Solar Panels
By Daniel Taylor on September 6, 2010 18:05
With the goal of transferring the world's energy demands to renewable sources quickly becoming more and more essential to the existence of the human race, scientists at MIT are focusing on creating revolutionary, super-efficient solar panels to harness the sun's power. But there is something extraordinary about these solar panels. They have the uncanny ability to repair themselves.
With the goal of transferring the world's energy demands to renewable sources quickly becoming more and more essential to the existence of the human race, scientists at MIT are focusing on creating revolutionary, super-efficient solar panels to harness the sun's power. But there is something extraordinary about these solar panels. They have the uncanny ability to repair themselves.
Anyone who has seen a basketball or kickball fade after accidentally being left outside in the sun's harsh rays knows that objects put into direct sunlight tend to degrade very quickly. Solar panels are no exception to the rule. Over time, the sun will virtually cook the solar panel until it becomes so inefficient, it becomes useless. Solar panels don't come cheap either, so replenishing a supply of solar panels can be a very expensive business. What is needed is a solar panel that is impervious to the degradation caused by the sun. Or better yet, a solar cell that has the ability to repair itself. This is exactly what researchers at MIT have created.
According to Michael Strano, a chemical engineer who lead the research and development of the new solar panels, "Sunlight, when it hits oxygen, is very damaging. It's the reason why we age, and the reason why when we leave paper or plastic out in the sun, it fades." This is the idea at the heart of the failure of solar cells in the public sector. If you want to know more about the scientific part of the solar cells, you can find more information at BBC News. To sum it all up, because the cells of the solar panel are created organically, they have a longer lifespan and have the ability to reproduce and replenish other dying cells.
Solar cells are an excellent alternative energy source for the future because the sun will not be going out any time soon. Once more efficient cells are created and capacitors have a storage capacity large enough to handle all that excess energy, solar panels will be inexpensive enough for the general public to purchase. They can be easily placed on rooftops without interfering with people. And since solar cells are now getting the ability to repair themselves, they no longer require constant maintenance allowing even the most technologically deficient human to use solar panels and save the planet. As long as there is enough space in capacitors to hold reserve power in the case of an overcast or night, solar panels are a great way to eliminate your energy bill.