The transition towards solar power usage has been tremendous and according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), there has been a 42% increase in usage of solar power methods in the US during the last ten years. There are new forms of utilizing solar energy coming up every other day and people are using all of these to make the most out of this renewable form of energy.
Now, there is an innovation in the industry, and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia has developed a solar paint that absorbs solar energy and the water vapors that the sun raises after evaporating them. These absorbed materials allow the paint to generate electricity and power the building.
The paint is made from titanium oxide (which is found in normal wall paints as well) and the newly developed synthetic molybdenum-sulfide. It was first made at the University of Toronto to increase the efficiency of solar cells by up to 11%. It is also called photovoltaic paint and is known as colloidal quantum dot photovoltaics.
Nanoscale semiconductors are embedded into a photon-absorbing film in this paint. The photovoltaic paint contains nanoparticles that give more light absorption, including into the near-infrared spectrum. The aim of the scientists is to make a system that enables them to spray solar cells onto flexible surfaces or print solar-sensitive colloidal quantum dots onto a flexible film to coat weirdly shaped surfaces, from patio furniture to an airplane wing.
Only a few companies like Tel Aviv-based SolarPaint Ltd have solar paints available. It is cheaper than the regular paint, more efficient, easier to apply than solar plates, and the same kind of it can be used on multiple sorts of surfaces. However, expert assistance will be required for its application, and it only has a capacity of around 3% to 8% for capturing the sunlight that falls on it. It can accentuate the work of solar panels.