Many industries could benefit, but smaller, lighter solar panels harnessing these two breakthroughs could especially help the shipping sector, which produces 3% of global carbon emissions.
Potential outcomes include:
- reduced emissions
- lower costs
- savings in materials
- less waste
These new panels could achieve carbon payback in under a year, less than half the time (at least) achievable using current solar panels.
New wave of solar
The research generating these advances in solar technology is taking place at the University of Exeter, working with a range of national and international business and academic partners.
The work has been supported through a fellowship funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation.
Learning from butterflies
The new solar panels would concentrate the sun’s energy, enabling them to be more compact.
This also counters a key problem: current solar cells maximise energy capture by directly facing the sun, which isn’t always possible on ships whose routes and schedules vary.
Ensuring cells capture enough sunlight even though relatively small and not facing the sun would be achieved through coatings that copy the energy-trapping properties of the wings of glasswing butterflies.
Manufacture of these 50-to-150-nanometre-thick structures directly into the fused silica glass surface of solar panels has now been demonstrated by project partner the University of Pittsburgh.
Meeting the challenge
A strategically vital $2 trillion global industry, shipping mainly relies on heavy fuel oil to meet its energy needs.
Decarbonisation efforts face challenges such as on-board space and weight restrictions, which the new type of solar panel would address head-on.
Aiding a circular economy
Making the solar panel cover glass from recycled glass would further aid sustainability.
The Exeter team have worked with ReSolar and Upcycled Glass Company (UGC) to successfully develop a process for producing high-quality solar concentrator optics from recycled photovoltaic glass.
This builds on the novel kiln-based process utilised by UGC.
Building solutions
Dr Katie Shanks, who is leading the research as part of her EPSRC fellowship, says:
Solar panels incorporating robust, durable anti-reflective coatings have obvious benefits for shipping but would also be ideal for buildings not optimally positioned or designed for capturing solar energy.
Add the fact that the cover glass and optics could be made from recycled materials and you get a potentially very attractive all-in-one decarbonising and sustainability solution.
Revolutionary and versatile
Professor Charlotte Deane, Executive Chair at EPSRC, says:
Dovetailing different breakthroughs into a potential commercial system is a great example of how EPSRC Fellowship funding can deliver joined-up real-world solutions.
High-power-density solar panels made of recycled materials could offer a remarkable step forward not just in the maritime sector but in fields like the building sector and remote autonomous vehicles.
Sailing ahead
Initial discussions with maritime transport companies are planned to start in the next year.
Scale-up of the recycling technology is already being explored with glass manufacturers.
Research will now focus on further development and testing of the coatings, and on scaling up the new recycling process.
The aim is to produce a prototype solar panel within two to three years.
Branched collaborations with ReSolar in particular are investigating the antimony content in photovoltaic glass and how this might affect secondary uses and potential impact on the natural environment.