BETTER SUN

Still some steps away from the marketplace but it confirms our hope for its promise.

New solar panel design traps more light
Greg Bluestein, April 11, 2007 (AP via Yahoo News)

WHO
Georgia Tech Research Institute senior research engineer and panel inventor Jud Ready

WHAT
A new solar panel designed as an array of nano-towers, in effect microscopic blades, which increase surface area for greater sunlight absorption.

WHEN
Unveiled April, 2007.

WHERE

WHY
With greater surface area, the panels produce 60 times more electrical current. The design has greater resistance, however, and has disappointing voltage output. Partially funded by the Air Force with intention to provide better solar electricity for satellites and spacecraft.

QUOTES
Ready: "It allows more opportunities for the photon to hit the part of the cell that creates electricity…We've demonstrated that it works pretty well…Now we must tweak it and make it better."