New multicrystalline-silicon solar cells come in ornamental colors
Calgary, AB, Canada--Qsolar, a company that has previously developed unusual types of silicon photovoltaic (PV) cells such as partially transparent cells, now has a line of multicrystalline PV solar cells in different hues, including red, green, blue, and purple. The idea is that the cells would be used much more widely because they are more decorative.
While specifications aren't available yet for the colored cells, Qsolar's standard multicrystalline panels, which are made up of individual 3 x 6 in. cells, are about 1 x 2 m in size and produce a little more than a quarter-kilowatt of electrical power.
The new colored PV cells are also available in semitransparent form, says Qsolar. (Qsolar's semitransparent cells are different from those developed at Xiamen University and the University of North Carolina, which are based on zinc oxide and zinc selenide.)
For more info, see http://www.qsolar.net/.
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John Wallace | Senior Technical Editor (1998-2022)
John Wallace was with Laser Focus World for nearly 25 years, retiring in late June 2022. He obtained a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and physics at Rutgers University and a master's in optical engineering at the University of Rochester. Before becoming an editor, John worked as an engineer at RCA, Exxon, Eastman Kodak, and GCA Corporation.