Weather-proof solar technology a big step

Scientists claim to have developed solar-power technology that can produce around 20% more energy in cloudy weather, compared to conventional solar cells.

Researchers say their so-called “British weather proof” technology is cheaper, more energy efficient and more flexible than traditional solar panels – and can convert solar energy to electricity in low light conditions.

The team believe their work, published in the journal Nature Energy, represents a “significant step” towards making the technology commercially viable and contributing towards global renewable energy targets.

Professor Lianzhou Wang, from the University of Queensland in Australia – who led the research – said: “Essentially, we’ve developed solar technology that is British weather proof. It can produce energy indoors or even when it is cloudy and wet.

“It is also printable, flexible and transparent – meaning it could be used as a skin to power next generation electric cars or applied as a film to windows on buildings and homes.”

The technology uses tiny nanoparticles – called quantum dots – that are about five billionths of a metre in size and can be put into liquid form and printed onto surfaces, where they harden to form a flexible layer. When exposed to solar energy in a solar cell device, these quantum dots pass electrons between one another to generate electrical current.

Prof Wang also claimed to have achieved a 25% improvement in solar cell efficiency over the previous world record.