Wednesday, September 25, 2013: Making use of nanotechnology, Amrita Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine together with Amrita University’s School of Engineering (Amritapuri Campus) has designed an integrated power storage system in solar panels. This is supposed to overcome a major problem of solar panels – need of a separate system in order to store the power drawn from the sun.
“Conventional storage systems are very expensive, but they were essential because without them solar panels would not work at night or indoors. But, with the new invention, there is no need for separate storage systems. The invention by the nano-solar division of the Amrita Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine is more efficient and inexpensive,” a statement from Mata Amritanandamayi Math the statement stated, The New Indian Express reported.
Shantikumar V Nair, Amrita Centre for Nanosciences Director stated that this nanotechnology-infused solar panels finds utility in charging other devices irrespective of whether the sun is shining or not.
The low cost solar panel in the device utilises a nanomaterial-based photo-voltaic cell (a pseudo-capacitor offering high storage and high power and uses novel nanomaterials) and an electronics interlayer that integrates the two systems within the panel itself. Moreover, it will function even with conventional silicon cells or thin batteries.