By : Franyi Sarmiento, Ph.D., Inspenet, June 7, 2022
Solar paint is a liquid with photovoltaic (PV) properties that allows it to absorb sunlight and convert it into electricity. By painting a piece of glass or other surface that has a circuit attached to it, solar cells are made. Its main virtue is its versatility. There are three technologies developed, which are described below:
Perovskite solar paint or spray solar cells
Perovskite is a crystalline mineral compound that can collect light. Cheap to produce and just as efficient as silicon cells in capturing energy from the sun, perovskite solar cells are the leading technology to replace or compete with crystalline silicon solar cells, because they can take liquid form.
Its current drawback is its lack of lifetime compared to silicon-based photovoltaics, the subject of much research today. Perovskite solar paint can be more easily integrated into building surfaces (a major source of greenhouse gas emissions), window glass (reducing the need for air conditioning), roofs, vehicles or, in fact, virtually any type of surface.
hydrogen sun paint
Other forms of solar painting include innovative technology that absorbs water vapor and splits it to generate hydrogen, which may allow buildings to produce their own heating oil. It works by absorbing moisture from the air and using solar energy to break down water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.
Photovoltaic or solar cell painting of quantum dots
This painting uses “quantum dots” or nanocrystals (essentially tiny glass beads) and quantum mechanics to improve the ability of normal solar cells to produce electrical current by up to 20%; and silicone-based paints used in concentrated solar power plants to increase solar energy absorption. They are nanoscale semiconductors that capture light and transform it into an electrical current.
Benefits of photovoltaic painting
One of the environmental benefits of sun paint is the speed with which it can be produced and applied.
Sun paint can be applied in the same way that a photocopier or printing press works: the ink is applied to a sheet of flexible glass that is passed through a press. This production process requires fewer materials and also consumes much less energy, which means a higher EROI (Energy Returned On Energy Invested) and therefore lower emissions in the plant. production of solar cells.
Solar paints are not yet commercially available, but their development follows the trajectory of many advances in solar technology since the 1970s.
However, in 2019, Google filed a patent application for a solar painting. This indicates a broader interest in the technology from major players. But most of the research and development has been done by startups looking to be first to market.
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