A new solar cell, the screen-printed dye solar cell, is currently in development by the Fraunhofer Institute. It is made when a thin, electricity-generating film is applied between two glass panels using screen printing techniques. With this method, manufacturers will have the capacity to generate an infinite array of colors and images onto a solar module. Solar modules with a decorative twist can then be mounted over windows, providing a protective shade while generating clean energy.
Physicists admit that dye solar cells only have 4 percent efficiency and can’t rival the conventional silicon cell in this aspect. However, their decorative potential opens up a new possibility for solar cells as functional, decorative facades. Fraunhofer Institute will present the technology at the Nanotech 2008 in Tokyo.
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