Are Regenerative Solar Panels the Wave of the Future?
Scientists at M.I.T. have developed microscopic solar cells which can mimic the regenerative process that plants use during photosynthesis.
The recent increase in residential solar power installations has been triggered by several factors. One has been the increase in federal, state and local incentives and tax breaks for individuals who invest in alternative energy sources such as solar power. Another major factor has been the increase in technological breakthroughs which have changed how solar power is harnessed and used. Breakthroughs in manufacturing and design have reduced solar panel installation costs while new materials have made it more affordable to produce more efficient panels.
In fact, modern solar panels are more efficient at capturing solar energy than plants which depend on the Sun for survival most plants capture three to six percent of all available sunlight compared to 15 percent for the average solar panel. However, the low cost of growing and utilizing plants make them an attractive possibility for future solar power uses.
In the September 2010 issue of the journal Nature Chemistry, a team of scientists from M.I.T. detailed research which could have enormous potential for the solar power industry. Researchers have developed microscopic solar panel cells which copy the photosynthetic process that plants use to harness captured energy.
The M.I.T. researchers were able to develop solar cells which are only a few billionths of a meter wide; these cells mimic the ability of plants to repair themselves and regenerate through chloroplasts during the photosynthetic process. Lead researcher Michael Strano, a professor of chemical engineering at M.I.T., said in a press release announcing the findings that the researchers are