Dyeing for sunlight

According to researchers at MIT, solar power might benefit from a splash of colour.

As reported in a recent article in Nature, researchers have found that thin films coloured with organic dyes and affixed to glass are able to increase the efficiency of solar panels, maximizing their energy output.

These “solar concentrators” work by absorbing different wavelengths, which in turn allows the collector to absorb more of sunlight’s spectrum. (It also gives offers solar power the chic look of an ‘80s dance club.)

Because efficiency is one of the most important features of any new development in solar power, concentrating power on a unit’s collectors is essential. But, as the article points out, while mirrors used to concentrate sunlight are already being used, they are costly to manufacture and make the unit prone to overheating. Dyed films allow for the use of fewer moving parts and other logistical improvements.

Notably, light-sensitive dyes have actually already been tried, though the technology available in the 1970s was ultimately unviable.

With demand for alternative energy sources continuing to increase, technologies like MIT’s dyed solar panel films are making solar energy a more viable alternative power source. And if they should get a little prettier in the meantime? So much the better.