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Related: About this forumGood news for Seattle: These solar panels work best in overcast weather
http://grist.org/list/good-news-for-seattle-these-solar-panels-work-best-in-overcast-weather/?w=470&h=265&crop=1
Next time someone snarks, Too bad solar panels dont work in when its overcast, spike this fact-volleyball into their thoughtmaker: SOME solar panels actually work BETTER when its cloudy out. Bam!
British scientists at the National Physical Laboratory this week created organic photovoltaics, which not only sound delicious but perform better in diffuse light. According to PSFK, theyre 13 percent efficient when its overcast, compared to 10 percent when its sunny. As principal researcher Fernando Castro explained:
Its not that they are going to produce more power, but they are more efficient at generating power from the light that is available. So they would work better than normal solar cells do in cloud.
Plus, organic solar cells can be 3D printed into various shapes and even dissolved into water. 3Dprint.com estimates organic PV will be widely available by 2019, noting that its super-quick to install:
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Good news for Seattle: These solar panels work best in overcast weather (Original Post)
xchrom
Mar 2014
OP
longship
(40,416 posts)1. They dissolve in water?
Yup! That'll work really great in Seattle.
DetlefK
(16,423 posts)2. Add a glass-sheet as a protective layer, some sealant on the edges, and done.
It doesn't have to be glass: You can use even transparent plastic foil, but a solid protective layer is better for outside weather.
DetlefK
(16,423 posts)3. Here's a video for a home-made organic solar-cell:
Organic solar-cells aren't "delicious". Depending on the chemicals they used, they might cause cancer or be toxic.
There are some organic photovoltaics (OPVs) that use edible components like fruit-juice, but their energy-conversion-ratios suck when compared to newer designs.
There are lots of videos on youtube how to build an organic solar-cell. I randomly picked one example.
Demeter
(85,373 posts)4. I didn't know such things existed on youtube! thanks for the post
Overseas
(12,121 posts)5. K&R. Yes please!