Dow Chemical has been brewing up solar products for a few years now. In 2007, the old-hat chemical giant received $20 million in federal funding to develop new solar innovations. This year, Dow released a silicone protective layer for solar cells that both protect the cell and improve output. And next year, North America will be the first to see Dow’s new CIGS-based solar roofing shingles.

With its silicone encapsulate complete and its energy-generating shingles almost there, Dow is already looking to move on, and a new research agreement with CalTech solidifies that move. The multimillion dollar partnership will facilitate experimentation with new solar cell materials. The general idea will be to discover abundant, natural materials that could be used to develop cheaper, third and maybe even fourth-generation solar cells. (more…)

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As if solar energy wasn’t already useful enough, it turns out solar radiation exerts a small amount of thrust on objects in its path. It won’t send your solar panels flying south for the winter, but it could one day revolutionize interstellar travel. The idea is solar sailing, and it’s not a new one. Attempts have been made over several decades to literally sail through outer space, but none as of yet have been especially successful. However, one organization, the Planetary Society, is not giving up – and for good reason, as the potential benefits of a successful solar sail are staggering.

What are Solar Sails?

Solar sails are made up of super thin metal, plastic or composite materials that, upon reflecting solar radiation, experience a tiny amount of thrust from each photon of light. This force is imperceptibly small on earth, but in the vacuum of space, its effect is cumulative and can provide enough thrust to propel a sail at speeds reaching a high fraction of the speed of light. Much like sailboats, solar sails are steerable. Adjustments to the sails change the way the solar radiation is reflected and thus the direction in which the craft moves.
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The Steward Observatory Mirror Lab over at University of Arizona has created a solar-concentrating device could very well produce power as cheaply as coal. Inventor Roger Angel’s device could use about $200 in glass, which may allow for a retail price of about $1,500 if and when it gets that far. At that price, the unit would produce power at an estimated cost of $1 a watt, giving traditional coal-burning power plants a run for their money.

Photo Credit: Portland Mercury

Angel’s device uses 21 segments of mirrors arrayed in a parabola (see below) on a lightweight aluminum frame to focus the sunlight on a small solar cell – sort of like solar thermal but with photovoltaic.  The Science Foundation of Arizona provided a grant in the amount of $300,000, which took care of the cost of engineering and development – no small task. The mirrors were hand-coated in the lab. (more…)

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