Glass design repels water and boosts photovoltaic output.
While solar panels are affordable and green, a newly-designed coating could make them resistant to the elements while also improving their energy output and reducing necessary maintenance. The glass coating designed by scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory combines anti-reflective and water-repelling properties, which provides an up to 6% increase in power output. The improved surface also reduced maintenance and operating costs due to the self-cleaning design, which actually bounces water off the coating and removes dirt and grime in the process.
The scientists’ design uses a specialized, highly-durable glass material that can be fabricated using industry standard techniques, meaning that the solution could be easily scaled for a variety of applications. The coating also defends against UV light and resists impact abrasions, which could be useful for a wide range of uses beyond solar such as optical instruments, sensors, and photodetectors.
