A new kind of solar cell could store electrical energy without any help from traditional batteries, according to a new study.Researchers at Ohio State University, in Columbus, have developed what they’re calling the world’s first solar battery — a hybrid device that combines the energy-capturing abilities of a solar cell with the energy-storing capabilities of a battery.The new cell could lower the cost of harvesting renewable energy from the sun by as much as 25 percent, according to the researchers. [Top 10 Craziest Environmental Ideas]The key to the device’s success is a mesh solar panel that allows both sunlight and air to enter the cell. This porous material represents a departure from the solid semiconductor materials typically used to make solar cells. Allowing both light and oxygen into the cell enables the chemical reactions that typically occur inside a battery to occur within the solar cell itself.”The state of the art is to use a solar panel to capture the light, and then use a cheap battery to store the energy,” lead researcher Yiying Wu, a professor of chemistry at Ohio State, said in a statement. “We’ve integrated both functions into one device. Any time you can do that, you… Read full this story
- Can Europe go carbon neutral by 2050?
- Gas hits $2.67 a gallon and America celebrates by buying gas-thirsty SUVs and trucks
- Can Africa develop on green power?
- Could oil nation Norway help save the climate?
- Awesome Tech You Can’t Buy Yet: Folding forks and fully automatic chess boards
New Solar Battery Could Generate Cheaper Clean Energy have 267 words, post on www.livescience.com at October 17, 2014. This is cached page on Technology Breaking News. If you want remove this page, please contact us.
