"Solar Dye" Is 10 Times Cheaper Than Normal Solar Panels

New Zealand (ToGW) - Solar cell technology developed by Massey University's Nanomaterials Research Center will enable companies to generate electricity from sunlight at a 10th of the cost of current silicon-based photo-electric solar cells. Dr. Wayne Campbell and researchers at the Center have developed colored dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells. The synthetic dyes are made from natural compounds, such as hemoglobin. "The expected cost is one tenth of the price of a silicon-based solar panel, making them more attractive and accessible to home-owners," he said. The Center's new director, Professor Ashton Partridge, says they now have the most efficient porphyrin dye in the world and aim to optimize and improve the cell construction and performance before developing the cells commercially. The solar cells are the product of more than 10 years research funded by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology.