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Jackie Chan Discs Help Boost Solar Panel Efficiency

Posted by samzenpus on from the super-solar-cop dept.

wbr1 writes Apparently the pit pattern on a blu-ray disk is great at helping trap photons, rather than reflecting them. Applying this pattern to the glass in a solar panel can boost efficiency by 22%. Researchers at Northwestern tested this system with Jackie Chan discs. From the article: "To increase the efficiency of a solar panel by 22%, the researchers at Northwestern bought a copy of Police Story 3: Supercop on Blu-ray; removed the top plastic layer, exposing the recording medium beneath; cast a mold of the quasi-random pattern; and then used the mold to create a photovoltaic cell with the same pattern....The end result is a solar panel that has a quantum efficiency of around 40% — up about 22% from the non-patterned solar panel."

9 of 194 comments (clear)

  1. Copyright? by BronsCon · · Score: 4, Funny

    Cue copyright infringement suit in 3..2..1...

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    1. Re:Copyright? by Frnknstn · · Score: 3, Funny

      Dunno about the solar efficiency, but it sure does make the picture quality better. And it makes my CDs sound so much warmer!

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  2. old joke is old by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Imagine what it could be with a Chuck Norris movie!!!

    1. Re:old joke is old by meglon · · Score: 5, Funny

      You know why there's not a Bruce Lee meme like there is for Chuck Norris? Bruce Lee isn't a joke.

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    2. Re:old joke is old by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Charles Nelson Reilly have Chuck Norris' head mounted on a wall.

      Chuck Norris has Chuck Norris' head mounted on his shoulders.

  3. The First Attempt by MarkRose · · Score: 5, Funny

    I heard the first attempt was with Chuck Norris discs, but they burnt holes through the panels.

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  4. Re:BLUE ray by lgw · · Score: 4, Funny

    Replacing your roof with solar panels will always be an overhead cost!

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  5. Room for further research.... by pollarda · · Score: 5, Funny

    If they can do this with SuperCop, just imagine what sort of efficencies they could get by using an AC/DC album! Also by using AC/DC as the base pattern it might allow them to create native AC and skip the use of a DC->AC power inverter.

    1. Re:Room for further research.... by mjwx · · Score: 5, Funny

      If they can do this with SuperCop, just imagine what sort of efficencies they could get by using an AC/DC album! Also by using AC/DC as the base pattern it might allow them to create native AC and skip the use of a DC->AC power inverter.

      AC/DC is bad, the last thing you want is for your solar panels to be... THUNDERSTRUCK.

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