The sun has been a vital element in humanity’s quest to harness energy since mirrors and glass were utilized to combust fuels as far back as the 7th century BC.
Collecting the sun’s rays via solar energy applications, for example, through advanced integrations such as colored solar cells, is among the latest developments in this always-evolving field.
Image Credit: Photo by Kelly L from Pexels.
The sun has maintained a central role in civilization through the centuries, being utilized to provide light and heat. As the modern world changes, innovations in key areas such as the nanotechnology sector have seen sources of renewable energy improve in terms of their impact and efficiency.
Advances in Solar Energy Applications
The last century has seen proactive advances in terms of the productivity, efficiency and aesthetics of solar energy applications.
Nanotechnology industry standard-bearers like Stensborg are integrating modernized optic filter approaches and constantly developing more advanced photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing methods.
CNBC reported that a yearly 15% growth rate would result in solar and wind power sources meeting the global demand for electricity by the mid-2030s. These would be capable of supplying total global energy needs by 2050.
The very first solar cell was created in 1883, utilizing gold-coated selenium. This had an energy conversion rate of only 1-2%, while modern solar cells average around 15-20%.
Advances in nanotechnology have allowed scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to construct solar cells capable of generating a conversion efficiency in the region of 47.1%.
When coupled with Stensborg’s high-performing BIPV systems and bespoke resins, the future of modern energy collection can become an aesthetically pleasing and multi-functional experience.
BIPV integrations can be built into a variety of structural components ranging from facades and roof structures to windows, which will proactively support wind, moisture and thermal resistances while operating as energy-absorbing solar panels.
Modern Solar Energy Applications
Increasing demand for and ongoing advances in solar energy has led to significant growth in the range of creative solar energy applications available today, including:
Solar-Powered Roads
The use of solar technology gives roads the ability to generate clean energy, provide illumination at night and melt ice or snow, allowing for safer driving experiences for road users.
Solar Fabrics
This application entails flexible solar panels being stitched into clothes or clothing fabrics.
Solar Powered Transportation
A vehicle’s inbuilt photovoltaic cells create solar energy, which can then be transferred to either provide power to a motor or engine or reserved in a storage battery.
Texturized Solar Panels
Optic filter engineers at Stenborg predict that textured solar panels created from granite and stone utilizing cutting-edge topologies and nanoimprint techniques will gain traction in the renewable energy sector.
Photovoltaic Solar Noise Barriers
When employed in walls, these noise reflective barriers will allow residential areas near areas of high traffic to reduce noise pollution and provide a sustainable power generation alternative to non-renewables.
Solar Storage
Solar energy storage produced via PV systems will provide future trading alternatives to trading non-renewable energy goods such as oil.
Colored Solar Cells
These solar cells can be applied to dwellings to maximize the production of energy without affecting their appearance. Consumers have the advantage of accessing solar energy in an aesthetically pleasing manner.
Advances in PV manufacturing mean colored solar cells can be utilized unobtrusively in walls, roofs and other parts of a structure, facilitating innovative and renewable building designs, especially as solar cells become available in a wider range of surface colors.
The Future of Nanotechnology and Solar Applications
Nanotechnology and solar panel applications are constantly improving and evolving. Solar panel innovations will leave a lasting legacy on the planet as fabrication continues to improve, utilizing materials like perovskite and organic semiconductors.
Stensborg is committed to improving and developing solar applications while concurrently fulfilling existing demand gaps with colored solar cells that make the growth in renewables more attractive to the consumer.
The sector's rapid growth has demonstrated that it can maintain current quality and meet the demand for cleaner and sustainable energy in the future.
Stensborg's dedicated teams of nanotechnology innovators, futurists and solar cell experts are on hand to assist customers in meeting the requirements of new and unique solar energy applications as the modern world sees energy production move towards a renewable, sustainable paradigm.
Resources
- https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/23/climate-renewables-could-oust-fossil-fuels-to-power-the-world-by-2050.html#:~:text=An%20annual%20growth%20rate%20of,all%20energy%20worldwide%20by%202050
- https://freedomsolarpower.com/blog/7-uses-of-solar-energy
- https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/7-creative-applications-of-solar-energy
- https://byjus.com/chemistry/uses-of-solar-cell/
- https://theswitch.co.uk/energy/guides/renewables/solar-energy
- https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/10/2022-will-be-a-record-year-for-wind-and-solar-new-report-finds.html
- https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/energy/solar-energy-10-major-application-of-solar-energy-explained/28197
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/sponsored/brief-history-solar-panels-180972006/
- https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2019/future-solar-bright/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/solar-energy
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Stensborg.
For more information on this source, please visit Stensborg.