Solar panel systems are essential for a variety of purposes.
But there are also concerns about the health effects of the chemicals that power them, and they’re often made of thin, porous plastic.
Now, researchers have developed a thin, water-repellent solar panel that could protect against solar radiation and sunburn.
The research is published today in Science.
“In the past, we’ve had a couple of studies that have shown solar panel products were harmful to human health,” says Dr. Steven Parnell, a researcher at the Center for Solar Energy Technologies at Arizona State University.
“We wanted to understand if these panels were really good, if they really were safe.
So we’ve designed a thin solar panel, a very thin material, that’s coated with a liquid, that would protect the solar panel from the sun’s ultraviolet light.
We also made a glass version, so it would be transparent and also protect against UV light.
And the glass is also water-resistant.”
The research team made these solar panels by coating a thin layer of polypropylene (PP), a polycarbonate that’s used to make the materials that make up many solar panel panels.
They then filled the panels with a solution that had been tested in animal experiments.
The polymer layer protects the solar panels from the ultraviolet light of the sun, while the liquid layer acts as a barrier.
The researchers also created a transparent material that would allow the panel to be tinted.
The panel was coated with thin films of polyethylene and silicon oxide (SiO 2 ), a material that absorbs UV light, but also absorbs a large amount of the sunlight.
“When sunlight hits the solar cell, the silicon oxide layer acts like a sunscreen and keeps it from getting too hot,” says Parnick.
“But when the sunlight hits water, the SiO 2 layer acts on the water to create a barrier that protects the silicon dioxide layer.”
“That water barrier keeps the silicon, which is what protects the panel from UV light and other harmful wavelengths, from getting any hotter than it otherwise would have,” Parnill says.
“This thin solar material has a very low thermal conductivity and a very good thermal conductive surface that acts like an adhesive.
That’s what makes it so flexible and resistant to heat.”
The researchers used an infrared laser to heat the thin film of silicon to about 4,500 degrees Fahrenheit.
“At that temperature, the polymer layer on the solar cells melts,” Pernell says.
The process is known as heat treatment, and it was created by applying heat to the polyethylenes and SiO two layers.
“The polyethylenes and SiOs in the thin solar film absorb heat from the surrounding water,” Purnell explains.
“They also create a thin film, which we then coat with a thick film of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which absorbs the water’s UV light.”
The polymer layers, which are coated with liquid, act as a thermal insulator, which keeps the panels from absorbing too much heat.
“So in our tests, we saw a significant reduction in the amount of UV light that came through the solar system,” Prenell says, adding that the panels did not melt in the test.
“And we also saw a reduction in UV-induced burns on the panel.”
The panel can be installed in a number of ways, from solar panels to small, lightweight portable panels that could be installed on roofs, rooftops, and in windows.
“It’s really an inexpensive, low-tech solution to provide protection for a wide range of applications,” Pravnik says.
And it’s likely that it could be used in other applications as well, as the researchers are working on applications for solar cell panels that incorporate solar cell filters, such as those used in the solar roof.
“A solar panel can protect your home from the damaging effects of UV rays by absorbing the UV light,” Pavnik says, noting that the material could also be used to create solar-powered windows.
