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Turn Your Smartphone Into A Solar Panel

Variety

13-02-2016 | 08:47

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Turn Your Smartphone Into A Solar Panel

2^min

As an alternative to searching for an outlet to keep your phone on, what if all you needed was some sunshine?

The Trick

Typically solar panels soak up photons from the sun’s rays and convert them into electricity. The panels have a tendency to be dark, because the darker a material, the more visible light it absorbs. The idea of transparent panels would usually get discharged because they don’t, by definition, absorb any noticeable light—it just passes right through them.

The Tech

Ubiquitous Energy, a derivative of MIT, has created a coating made of organic molecules that absorb the sun’s ultraviolet and infrared rays. Since the light isn’t in the visible range (for humans), the coating appears clear. The material doubles as a semiconductor: When photons hit the surface, they stimulate electrons that move as an electrical current to power the device.

The Take-Away

“You can put the coating on anything and turn it into an electrical source,” says company founder Miles Barr—smartwatches, phones, windows, or even cars. When the tech is mature, Barr anticipates it will convert solar energy into electricity with 10 percent efficiency—two-thirds the industry normal average for solar panels.

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