The World's First Photovoltaic Circuit That Powers Itself
If sustainability is key to the new energy economy, a team of University of Pennsylvania researchers has just taken a big step toward the future by developing the first photovoltaic circuit that powers itself. The circuits could eventually be packed into touchscreens and other consumer devices that would run without a battery or any other source of power, as long as they have a beam of sunlight to harvest. Like any incremental technology, these circuits aren't going to be powering the next generation of cellphones or replace silicon photovoltaic cells anytime in the immediate future. Right now researchers can only get a tiny amount of power from the circuits. But as the technology scales and becomes more efficient, it should open up some exciting possibilities for the future. Related ArticlesA New Dawn for Solar EnergyFirst Nanotube Circuit Created, Paves Way For Better ChipsSandia Labs Creates Fashionable Glitter-Sized Solar CellsTagsScience, Clay Dillow, circuits,...