The Next Big Thing – Solar Paint?

I was excited to hear about this new awesome technology - ‘photovoltaic paint’. Could this be my new favorite green tech product? Well you cannot walk into your favorite hardware store, choose a gallon of solar paint and tint it to that perfect shade of beige, yet. This is a highly sophisticated process. It requires a two part system of dye-sensitive cells (instead of traditional silicon) and electrolytes –which in chemistry can conduct electricity – this paint is then factory applied in four layers to sheets of steel. When the heat hits the dye it reacts with the electrolytes and generates power. There is a little more to it than that, but my skill for explaining scientific reactions are best left to the professionals. The process is somewhat complicated, but it is simply mimicking nature’s photosynthesis. The technology is great for places like England, because where bright sun is rare, it performs fairly well. But In areas where full sun is abundant, regular PV panels tend to work better.

“If the solar cell paint can be successfully brought to the market, it could spell big changes when it comes to the future production of electricity,” said Steve Fisher, spokesperson for the Corus Group. UK based Corus is manufacturing the product for its £6 million sustainability initiative and to be the most efficient manufacturing line in Europe.

This technology could revolutionize the solar industry, in the near future, everything from rooftops and whole buildings to cars and cell phone chargers could be produced using the paint. But what about works of art? The Province of Puglia in Italy plans to construct a 200 foot high statue of their beloved Saint Padre Pio – and paint him with photovoltaic paint, making history as the first energy-producing icon while honoring the Padre’s legacy.

I am excited for this new technology and welcome it. I am thrilled to see a shift in scientific and technological advances from destructive degenerative practices to beneficial evolutionary advances.

Corus is a customer focused, innovative value-driven company, which manufactures, processes and distributes steel products and services to customers worldwide.

• Organization Type: Profit
• Website: http://www.corusgroup.com/en/
• Founded: 1999
• Location: London, UK
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