New solar panel collection technique

[Fat Tone]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7501476.stm

Essentially a dye coating that transmits solar light to the interior of a pane of glass, solar cells on the edge of the pane only. Can also be placed on top of existing panels to increase efficiency by 50%.

[Dr Mordrid]

Here's the MIT Technology Review link....

This is a fantastic idea.

The ratio between the solar collectors surface area and that of the actual solar cells around its perimeter determines the amount of solar cell needed and therefore the cost/unit of the electricity output. It also makes the best use of expensive high efficiency solar cells.

I also like how they used dyes that absorb at one set of wavelengths and emit at another to minimize transmission losses in the glass. Hopefully it'll also work in polymer panels.

Combined with Nanosolar's inexpensive solar films used on the perimeter this could be a major breakthrough in building cheap solar panels.