Nanopaint for Solar Energy Capture
Two Energy Frontier Research Centers, each with a 5-year grant from the US Department of Energy, will be established at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. One of the centers, to be headed by Victor Klimov, will focus on the applications of nanotechnology in energy research. Specifically, Klimov’s team will concentrate on the use of nanoscale materials to efficiently capture and harness solar energy in the production of electricity.
One of the center’s key projects will be the utilization of quantum dots, nanomaterials which can produce electrical energy using photons from sunlight, in the production of electrical power. In their final configuration, these quantum dots will function just like the cumbersome solar panels of today; however, these solar collectors will be microscopic in scale. Unlike solar panels, moreover, the quantum dots won’t need to be installed on rooftops; they can be merely “painted” on walls, roofs and any other sun-exposed surfaces.