A novel fabrication technique developed by UConn engineering
professor Brian Willis could provide the breakthrough technology scientists
have been looking for to vastly improve today’s solar energy systems.
For years, scientists have studied the potential benefits of
a new branch of solar energy technology that relies on incredibly small
nanosized antenna arrays that are theoretically capable of harvesting more than
70 percent of the sun’s electromagnetic radiation and simultaneously converting
it into usable electric power.
The technology would be a vast improvement over the silicon
solar panels in widespread use today. Even the best silicon panels collect only
about 20 percent of available solar radiation, and separate mechanisms are
needed to convert the stored energy to usable electricity for the commercial
power grid. The panels’ limited efficiency and expensive development costs have
been two of the biggest barriers to the widespread adoption of solar power as a
practical replacement for traditional fossil fuels.