Snowflake-shaped photovoltaic cells bring the holiday cheer
By Laura June 
posted December 24th 2009 2:02PM
posted December 24th 2009 2:02PM
Sandia National Laboratories have unveiled their newest photovoltaic cells -- glitter-sized particles made of crystalline silicon. The cells are made using common microelectronic and microelectromechanical systems techniques, and the results are pretty spectacular to behold. More interestingly, however, is the fact that they use 100 times less material in generating the same amount of energy as a regular solar cell.
Because of their size and shape, the cells are well-suited to unusual applications, and researchers envision mass-production of the cells for use on building-integrated tents or clothing, so campers (or military personnel) could recharge their cell phones on the go. Researchers also think that these particles will be inexpensive to produce, but there's no word on when they'll be ready for consumer application. We'll keep you posted -- but hit the source link for more a more detailed description.
Because of their size and shape, the cells are well-suited to unusual applications, and researchers envision mass-production of the cells for use on building-integrated tents or clothing, so campers (or military personnel) could recharge their cell phones on the go. Researchers also think that these particles will be inexpensive to produce, but there's no word on when they'll be ready for consumer application. We'll keep you posted -- but hit the source link for more a more detailed description.
i'm getting a spider-man/green goblin feel from this piece.
YAY! Another very nice advancement in solar panel that we'll never be able to buy!
http://xkcd.com/678/
^ I think we need to start referring to this.
Should it not be 'it's not know when it's ready for killing consumers' since it's sandia?
Description of sandia: Their primary mission is to develop, engineer, and test the non-nuclear components of nuclear weapons
@Wwhat Well I think this would fall under mission 2: "Energy, Resources and Nonproliferation": "enhancing the surety of energy and other critical infrastructures". Most of the Nat'l labs these days have a pure R&D development unit that patents stuff then tries to sell it to commercial interests to market.
@uagent
Yep, typical an invention that will not 'proliferate' like all those superbatteries and such. :)
Anyway they do research for military uses and purposes not for the consumers, so for that reason I'd not wait for it to arrive in any consumer devices, although it might of course.
those are pretty amazing.
How do they get the electricity out? Unless i'm missing something and you can just sprinkle these on any electronics to make them magically solar powered, assembling usable arrays out of these is probably a pain in the ass...unless they print them, in which case, you could probably print the traces right along with the cells. Hmm, the read link did not elucidate.
@Xenoterranos
Are you're gadgets running out of power? Then you need new power dust!
Made from >>Real Science
@Xenoterranos
Good question. Maybe they're "sprinkled" in such density that they all touch each other, and can work as if they're just one big wire? That seems too easy.
Mm, phones coated in solar sparkles!
100% less material 100% lighter? Put them on the satellites and send the energy back through huge lasers!
@immortal clone
Not 100% less material, which would be 0%. 100 times less, which would be 1% of the material. scnr :P
@Wang Tang
Haha, good point, makes 110% sense :)