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Carbon Nanotube Towers Could Increase Solar Power

Posted by Zonk on from the tiny-towers-of-power dept.

Vict0r writes "Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute have recently demonstrated a way to grow carbon nanotubes in towers. The article also discusses applications for solar cells." From the article: "Reflections off the Gothamesque towers would provide more opportunity for each photon of sunlight to interact with the p/n junction of the cell. That would increase the power output from PV cells of a given size, or allow cells to be made smaller while producing the same amount of power."

5 of 141 comments (clear)

  1. Small problem by winstonmeister · · Score: 5, Funny
    "Reflections off the Gothamesque towers would provide more opportunity for each photon of sunlight to interact with the p/n junction of the cell.
    Unfortunately, Batman tends to work at night, so solar cells won't be of too much help.
    --
    Save the galaxy!
  2. But what could you do... by Fitzghon · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... with a Beowulf cluster of these things?

    Fitzghon

  3. But not word... by davecrusoe · · Score: 5, Interesting

    "For soldiers operating in the field, especially in desert areas that receive lots of sunlight, the new "solar tube" cells could provide an alternate power source for the growing number of electronic devices they use. Without the need for trucking in fuel, compact PV cells could directly power certain applications or be used to recharge batteries in soldiers' equipment..." But, no word about innovative residential or consumer uses for the material? What about powering mobile computing systems for rural schools in India, or for use in purifying water in Africa? Sigh.

  4. Re:Even better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Like your 'n' got absorbed?

  5. a lot of solar news lately by grqb · · Score: 5, Informative
    So far this week we've had quite a bit of solar news...solar power airplane to fly around the world, another breakthrough in solar power that brings the price of solar from $8/watt to about $1/watt and now this...hmmm I should get into this business it seems!


    Carbon nanotubes are also all over the map these days so why not nanotubes and solar? I guess we'll have to wait a while until this becomes commercial though because I don't think carbon nanotubes can be scaled up very easily.