If you like glitter covered evening gowns, or a nice crew-neck sweater with a glittering tiger applique, this new photovoltaic technology could make you a solar-powered energy source.  Sandia National Laboratories scientists have developed tiny glitter-sized photovoltaic cells that could revolutionize the way solar energy is collected and used.

The tiny solar cells could turn a person into a walking solar battery charger if they  molded around unusual shapes, such as clothing.

The solar particles, fabricated from crystalline silicon, hold the potential for a variety of new applications, including: tents, clothing, phone cameras and solar roofing.  They are expected eventually to be less expensive and have greater efficiencies than current photovoltaic collectors that are pieced together with 6-inch- square solar wafers. 

The cells are fabricated using microelectronic and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) techniques common to today’s electronic foundries.  Part of the potential cost reduction is derived from the fact that microcells require relatively little material to form well-controlled and highly efficient devices.

From 14 to 20 micrometers thick (a human hair is approximately 70 micrometers thick), they are 10 times thinner than conventional 6-inch-by-6-inch brick-sized cells, yet perform at about the same efficiency – 100 times less silicon generates same amount of electricity.  For large-scale power generation, said Sandia researcher Murat Okandan, “One of the biggest scale benefits is a significant reduction in manufacturing and installation costs compared with current PV techniques.”

“So they use 100 times less silicon to generate the same amount of electricity,” said Okandan. “Since they are much smaller and have fewer mechanical deformations for a given environment than the conventional cells, they may also be more reliable over the long term.”

source: sandia press release