Techotic

Dr Dave Worsley is a research scientist at the Materials Research Centre, Swansea University, Wales, and his pet project could change the way all of us obtain part of our energy needs.

He is researching into the practicalities of taking standard flexible steel surfaces commonly used for cladding buildings and painting solar cells onto them. Dr Worsley has a long history of research into steel products, mainly in the area of how paint can help stop corrosion.

One of his students researching for his doctorate was working on how sunlight degrades paint on steel surfaces. Which led the student and Dr Worsley to consider if it was possible that paint could capture solar energy, using a new ‘photovoltaic’ method?

The major advantage of these new ‘paint on’ solar cells is that unlike conventional solar panels, they are incredibly efficient at capturing low light radiation. Which makes them practical for use in climates where the sun is often covered in cloud.

Dr Worsley and his team are now working with the company called Corus Colours, who are established manufacturers of steel buildings, producing 100 million square meters of cladding every year.

This collaboration aims to come up with a viable method of painting multiple layers of photovoltaic paint onto the surface of steel during the manufacturing process. The steel would be highly flexible and could be used extensively in exterior building products.

Dr Worsley is of the belief that the potential for such a product worldwide could be huge. Especially as it is being designed with countries that have cooler climates in mind. Traditional solar panels are mainly used in areas where there is a high amount of daily direct sunlight.

Dr Worsley says that if the 100 million square meters of buildings that Corus produces each year were to be painted with the new product. The amount of energy captured per annum would be the equivalent to that produced by 50 wind farms, around 4,500 gigawatts of electrical power.

Dr Worsley believes that his close collaboration with a large-scale, steel building manufacturer will produce a viable, commercial, energy generating paint.

Because the steel products and the paint would be incredibly flexible and easy to use. It is assumed that these panels could be molded into all kinds of building materials that can be used extensively in commercial buildings and regular homes to produce energy.