Solar Panel Traps more Light

Sunlight has never really caught fire as a power source, mostly because generating electricity with solar cells is more expensive and less efficient than some conventional sources. But a new solar panel unveiled this month by the Georgia Tech Research Institute hopes to brighten the future of the energy source. The difference is in the design. Traditional solar panels are often flat and bulky. The new design features an array of nano-towers - like microscopic blades of grass - that add surface area and trap more sunlight. "It allows more opportunities for the photon to hit the part of the cell that creates electricity," said Jud Ready, the senior research engineer who invented the panel. And that has resulted in a big jump in current generated. Ready said the three-dimensional panels produce about 60 times more than traditional solar cells. Source and full story: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20070411/techbit-better-solar-panel.htm