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Carbon Nanotube Solar Cells On the Horizon

Posted by timothy on from the on-the-horizon-they're-closest-to-the-sun dept.

MikeChino writes Carbon nanotube news abounds as of late, and the next application for the up and coming material may be hyper-efficient and economical solar cells. Led by professor Paul McEuen, researchers at Cornell recently tested a simple solar cell (called a photodiode) crafted from a single carbon nanotube. Surprisingly, researchers discovered that more light shined on the nanotube created even more electricity, a huge difference from today's silicon solar cells where excess energy is lost in the form of heat rather than used to create more electricity."

8 of 150 comments (clear)

  1. Homer says... by Azghoul · · Score: 4, Funny

    Carbon nanotubes... is there anything they _can't_ do?

    1. Re:Homer says... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      They have yet to get me a date with Megan Fox.

    2. Re:Homer says... by idontgno · · Score: 4, Funny

      We need a huge ticker-tape parade for our hero, Inanimate Carbon Nanotube.

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    3. Re:Homer says... by kheldan · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Carbon nanotubes can't be mass produced economically yet.

      There, fixed that for you.

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  2. Ooh, ooh by russotto · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Another world changing technology that's just around the corner.

    1. Re:Ooh, ooh by H0p313ss · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Another world changing technology that's just around the corner.

      Just for fun, if you're old enough, try to remember what things were like 35 years ago in the mid 70's:

      • The internet was essentially a private network that most of us didn't hear about until the late 80s...
      • No PCs, a portable computer was a dummy terminal PRINTER with a 300 baud modem
      • Cell phones the size of lunch boxes
      • Giant floppy disks with less that 1MB capacity.

      These days the average (new) cell phone is more powerful than all the computing resources used by the Apollo program. Heck I carry my ENTIRE music collection around with me every day!

      Now try to imagine the world in 35 years.... it's just around the corner.

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  3. Again with the #$##%# solar cells by McGregorMortis · · Score: 4, Funny

    Not a week goes by that you don't hear about yet another breakthrough in cheap and efficient solar cells. Every week, without fail, since 1979, I swear to God. Any more grains of salt, and I'll have a heart attack.

  4. Re:The technology isn't important by kheldan · · Score: 5, Funny

    The question is, it it cost-effective?

    If someone developed a 99% efficient solar cell, would you really care what it cost?

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    Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!