Nanotech breakthrough: Self-cleaning solar panels
Solar panels may have just become more low maintenance. While conducting research on a cure forl Alzheimer’s, scientists at Tel Aviv University ended up with a nanotech breakthrough that could mean no more worrying about keeping solar panels clean – they can clean themselves!
The researchers were conducting experiments on ways to control peptide atoms and molecules (Alzheimer’s sufferers have a particular peptide found in the plaques that form in their brains) and they found a way to get peptides to self-assemble in a vacuum. The resulting arrangement of peptides acts as a dust- and water-repelling coating.
Not only can the coating keep solar panels clear from debris, but it also could be used as a super-capacitor, meaning better lithium batteries. Two boosts to clean tech with one discovery!
If that’s not enough, drug company Merck is funding continued Alzheimer’s research at Tel Aviv University. You can check out the abstract of the groups findings in Nature Nanotechnology.
via Discovery News
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3 Comments Add yours
December 30, 2009
5:32 pm
It’s important to keep your solar panels clean, otherwise they won’t absorb the sun properly, right? Hopefully with self-cleaning solar panels, more people will decide to purchase them for their homes. Increasing battery power is an added bonus!
January 13, 2010
3:05 pm
Wow great discovery by scientists at Tel Aviv University. I appreciate this post a lot. I am amazed especially by the fact that how they found the actions of peptide atoms and molecules resulting in cleaning of solar panels by itself. Cool post, am retweeting it. Thanks
Gabriel from Portable solar panels´s last blog ..build solar panels yourself
February 9, 2010
6:09 am
How clever is that?, this will make it even more desireable for people to start using solar energy, good to see they are pushing toward an alzheimers cure, what a pleasant side effect of the research!