Solar so good

We are all aware that solar panels source power from the Sun, but what will the future of solar energy generation look like? Here, we take a look at the bright new power future.

We spoke to Angela Gallacher a spokesperson for The Renewable Energy Centre, a website offering practical information on renewable energy, including solar power and its place in the UK. “From the enquiries and visitors we receive through our website, solar heating is becoming a popular option for home owners in the UK,” she said.

It is important to note there are two kinds of solar energy for homeowners, Gallacher explains: “Solar heating and photovoltaics. Solar heating panels heat the hot water in the home whereas photovoltaic panels produce electricity.”

Photovoltaics

Currently, photovoltaics (PVs) most commonly rely on silicon materials to access the sun’s power, but now new materials are showing promise as a better energy generator. These are dye, nanotubes and synthetic porphyrins for photosynthesis.

Gallacher commented: “Photovoltaic panels have the added benefit that if there is any excess electricity produced, the system can be connected to the national grid and the electricity sold providing a potential revenue stream alongside the production of household electricity. It is important to remember that the payback for these systems is long term but does provide an element of security for homeowners if there are national energy supply shortages in the future.”

Possible future technologies

Dye sensitised to the sun

Roofs and walls could generate power sourced from the sun. Swansea University research is seeing dye-sensitised solar cells painted onto steels sheets that are conventionally used to clad large buildings.

This innovation relies on two different technologies: one to generate the electricity and the other to apply it as paint onto the steel. The team hopes to cover the sheets with a photovoltaic paint at up to 40 square miles per minute in steel mills by passing them through a roller.

The paint itself will be based on dye-sensitised solar cells, which will be attached to particles of the titanium dioxide pigment used in paints. That gives an energy boost to electrons, which hop from the dye into a layer of electrolyte. This then transfers the extra energy into a collecting circuit before the electrons cycle back to the dye.

Built up on several layers, the first layer is a barrier of regular paint directly applied to the steel, this is followed by the electrolyte layer and then the dye layers – finally a clear protective film is applied to help it guard against the elements. 

Nanotechnology has also been used to create some very efficient PV solar cells, working in tangent with dye-sensitised materials. According to materials science and engineering professor Dr Craig Grimes at Penn State University in the US, a solar cell can be made up of nanotubes and natural dye which may be the best solution to making solar electricity production cost-effective.

Specifically, titanium nanotubes could replace the coatings currently used in dye-sensitised solar cells – currently, initial attempts at the technology can produce about three per cent conversion of solar energy to electricity. “I think we can reach a 15 per cent conversion rate with these cells,” said Dr Grimes

Make like a leaf

Cheap and very effective solar cells have been in our backyards all along – leaves. A healthy leaf can harvest 30 to 40 per cent of the light shining on them. The best solar cells made by man are currently operate at between 15 and 20 per cent.

This has lead researchers in Australia and Japan to base a new approach to capturing the sun’s light – photosynthesis. Bacteria and green plants use photosynthesis to convert light energy into a usable chemical energy. So, the researchers have sought to mimic this phenomenon by creating a wheel-shape of molecule arrays called porphyrins to collect light and transfer it to a hub where chemical reactions use the light energy to convert carbon dioxide into energy-rich sugar and oxygen.

Over the next few years, the researchers want to scale this technology up into full-blown solar panels.
Solar hot water

Sun powered hot water systems are a regular sight on the roofs of houses in sunny Spain, France or Australia, now they are becoming a regular technology here. Solar hot water heating can provide about a third of your hot water needs. The average domestic system reduces C02 by around 350kg per year, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

Solar panels heat a 10m copper coil that is wound through a water tank. A water tank can contain 60 to 80 gallons and can also have a mains element back up.

The design of the tank is changing too. It is becoming flatter and has twin coils.

Gallacher left us with some final advice for using solar heated water in the home. “It is essential that before investing in solar power that the home has been assessed for suitability as not all homes will produce energy from solar due to their location. Solar power can produce up to 40 per cent of the required heat for hot water in an average household, and this can reduce bills up to £120 per year.”

Insulate, insulate, insulate

Conversely, solar energy might not be the best renewable technology for your household to use and reap the benefits for being “off the Grid.” Consider your area and what natural resource is better available to you. It might be wind, tidal or other. But first: insulate.

Gallacher says: “So often, homeowners select the most popular type of micro generation without fully researching its potential benefits. It is essential that homeowners fully assess where they use most of their energy, whether they have fully insulated their homes and reduced if not eradicated, any present draughts. Only then should they decide which renewable source of energy is likely to provide the best pay back and results.”

Want to get involved in projects such improving photovoltaics? Read on…

A school like Swansea University (SU) can help ready you for a future in material science. They are already fitted with the latest research facilities and lab to ready you for the best jobs.

Swansea is a leader in the UK for materials science; in fact, it is a key player in one of the largest materials projects in the world:  IMPRESS – Intermetallic materials processing in relation to earth space solidification.

Career prospects for graduating engineers from SU are very good . Both the BEng and the MEng Honours degrees are accredited by the Institute of Materials who give exemption to graduates for the qualifying examination which leads to a Chartered Engineer (Ceng) status.

Standard entry requirements for the BEng and MEng degrees are 240 – 300 tariff points at A level or equivalent. Points must also include those gained from science, maths or technology subjects.

Visit the University Of Swansea School Of Engineering for more information.

Visit the The Renewable Energy Centre for more information about renewable energy, including solar power.

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