The Ultimate Stealth Solar Method
I like to cover breaking new technology here, and this definitely falls in that category.
Researchers at Notre Dame have a created a solar paint that would actually generate electricity. It’s made from titanium dioxide, which is also found in sunscreen. Efficiency is around 1% right now, which is not great compared to the 15%-20% efficiency of mass production solar panels now. But as with anything related to science, they have a starting point and will improve it from here.
The paint can be tinted to make any color and applied to any surface that you would apply paint to. The idea of solar paint got me thinking about some possibilities for generating power in unexpected places:
- Of course flat roof surfaces could be painted with this material to simultaneously reflect heat and generate power.
- The sides of buildings could be painted to produce electricity.
- Roadways and bridges could now generate power.
- Stadium roofs seem perfect for this application.
- Every sunny side of homes could be painted with this material.
Of course there are some questions about how it would work. Generally solar wattage varies on surface area, so the larger the area the more wattage. How would you regulate the power that came off a wall? What voltage would it produce? This is important for system design purposes.
Still, it’s a cool technology and could lead to big things in the future. How would you use solar paint?
I’d paint my house and my Tesla with it
I have seen both titanium oxide and titanium dioxide mentioned. Which applies? Also, would this solar paint be affected by EMP events?
Speaking of paint, here’s a joke I like to tell. No one has ever been able to answer it right. Try to, before you read the answer: What’s red and smells like blue paint? xxxxxxxxxxx Answer: red paint. Ha ha. Bet you didn’t get it right.
Many of you have missed the point that they are years away from developing a paint that will even approach the efficiency of today’s solar panels. So I wouldn’t be too excited just yet. But I’m sure they will get there.
It does move us in the right direction. To have every bldg. generate its own instead of trying to power a giant solar generation plant would seem the better way to use solar.
How do we hook up wires to the paint ?
What level voltage does it put out ?
How do you find the locations to tap into the paint to get a positive and negative ?
What most of you all are missing is the actual total solar energy available per square foot (which also varies tremendously with angle and overcast).
Now subtract the efficiency factor and you get realistic.
Sorry, even at best there’s not enough area on a car roof to collect enough energy to power it; the dome light maybe….
The problem with most whole-house roof solar panels is that they are linked to the grid; when that is down the panels do you no good. I have a $34K array and plan to install a switch to divert the power to a battery-inverter setup when I find a good source of equipment. Suggestions are very welcome.
griffinaero@yahoo.com
Every time I talk to a solar power company (and they are everywhere, pushing their product), I ask about taking my grid-tied system off-line. With threats of massive power outages, it would be nice to leverage those thousands of dollars of investment for these SHTF situations. I’m sure there would be a MAJOR market for something like this.
Could this be used for driveways to cause snow to met faster?
Electric heating is about the highest-consumption use for electricity
No. Forget that you need vastly more energy to heat the driveway than the paint can supply. Just consider that as soon as the driveway gets coated with snow it will block sunlight from reaching the solar paint.
I would like to have information on the electric paint and how to hookup to my electric in the house or car.
Or you could just perfect graphene (is clear, 1 nanometer thick, and is 10x stronger than steel) in such a way that it bonds with clear wood sealers (minwax or clear topcoats).
Then you wouldnt have to repaint the world, just put the graphene clearcoat over it and you preserve historicity. Products will become 10x stronger than steel and pull in solar energy.
We have been using solar electric power for our house for over 30 years. We never stop experimenting or testing things . We love to share what we have learned. WW
Fabulous!
The settlers used Cow and Buffalo dried dung for fuel in stoves. I live in the Florida boon docks where there are many ranches. I can smell it when I’m on my trike riding by the ranches, but I hardly ever see cattle dung. I w wondering if they collect it for fertilizer. Maybe that is why I never see it. It makes sense Because the soil is sandy here an d a lot of money is spent dumping fertilizer on that land. When the cattle are taken out for slaughter They either plant corn or peanuts. After the harvest they plant THE WINTER GRASS AND THE CATTLE ARE BACK..
if you could collect it you could easily put it in a methane digester.. (that is basically a tank with a dome shape top.. collect the methane given off by the dung
Run a genset .. then once the dung has done its thing.. it can be composted and used for gardens and such
In 1957 RCA put on a demo of inventions “things of the future” at Charlotte College in Charlotte< NC. This was one of the inventions they demonstrated. The answer to how the paint is used was also answered at the demo. Notre Dame is only 56 years behind or RCA did a great job of keeping this a secret.
I'm still impressed.
it is the same RCA that brought us paint by number chemistry… that resulted in of all things the Color TV My cousin was a chemist on part of that team. He was always trying to recruit me to get into the field
Just maybe I can power my car with it some day.
Just think,
You could paint your electric car and driveall day untill it gets dark.
might want to check this out too – Rawlemon Solar Devices seemed interesting!
I am also very curious how this paint really works. Does this work like solar panels that have to have a connect? Or are they putting something in the paint that will naturally draw either heat or cool from the sun to warm or cool all sides of your house, driveway or whatever. I know that metallic or darker colors draws heat, lighter colors or white deflects heat. I would use for everything if it would be affordable to.
How do you make the electrical connections?
I haven’t seen it in action anywhere, but I have the same question.
Most likely the top would be positively charged, and the bottom negatively charged (or visa versa). Just connect the wires with electrical tape or something more permanent.
More likely the potential difference will be between the two surfaces. Unless that is what you meant by top and bottom.
First the paint should be flat black for max. absorption. Like the paint used on stealth planes and submarines.
I would try painting a sheet of aluminum, which is a heat absorber and conductor. Titanium has been used in paints for decades, but it’s titanium oxide, which is non-conductive. If the paint is conductive they must put a conductive titanium screen or chips in it. That way there would be two poles to attach wires to. Also the aluminum would help the paint from deteriorating by absorbing heat.
black wire is positve.. white wire is negative..
so one wire is on the back of the paint surface and the other wire is on the front.. Just as is done on a regular silicon based solar cell.
Guess what .. on solar cells the negative is on the side that gets the sunlight
It sounds like you are proficient with solar arrays. I’m so anxious to make the most of what little sun I get on this side of the mountain but.. sadly, I’m a combat vet with TBI and can’t do math now to save my life. The few businesses around this rural area that do – do solar require a second mortgage practically. Do you happen to know anyone in Southern Oregon who is, like you, into solar and proficient? I’m ok once someone shows me how to do something. Just a shot in the dark but I can’t get what I don’t ask for, right?
Debra,
I wouldn’t bother with solar at all in what I know of in Oregon. sort of depends on specific location, but just the northern latitude makes it hard…the winters are too long, the angle of sunlight very low, etc.
If there’s a stream nearby, that would be good…Here in Florida the wind is worthless inland but you might look at that there.Some parts of Oregon have had recent (geologically) volcanic action and maybe geothermal would work with a deep well.
I built a saltbox type home in Connecticut and did the roof with fiberglass panels covering boxed-in rafter spaces. I downdrafted the hot air using airconditioner fans and styrofoam flaps with 146 gallon jugs full of water to soak up the daytime energy in a styrofoam closet for nighttime use. I had all the heat I wanted for less than $400 a season (oil heat).
I saw a product in development that is paper thin, is transparent, yet is tough enough to stop bullets. It also conducts electricity so one application was to wrap houses in it, including the window for generating solar power. Unfortunately I don’t remember the name.
I think the product you are referring to is Graphene or Thorium. Look up molycorp
They are even talking of using in power plants.
Great new idea– and you are right. It is a starting point.
Even a few watts that would trickle feed a battery charger could serve as a backup for lighting or such in emergencies.
I’m always open to positive ideas.
I would paint my driveway, sidewalks,etc. with it.
Even as a renter, I’ll bet one could match the existing color of the exterior with the solar paint and quietly start harvesting some power ;)
I would like to see efficient solar pannels put on the roofs of the electric cars to charge a 2nd battery system…you could pretty much drive longer without plugging in.
How about the tops of vehicles, helicopters, planes ….
Pipe Dreams1
yea Frank, you could paint the top of your balding head and generate more power to your brain.
Its not what you could paint sadly its will the big oil companies allow it? They’ll find a way to either buy it out and NEVER use it or kill off the people that might step on their toes. :-|
I’m wondering if this paint can be used on roofs that are now coated with material that doesn’t effect the quality of the water when it’s used as a catchment for cisterns as they do in the tropics.
This is a wonderful idea. However, once it does improve where efficiency becomes that of any solar panel, you would still have to address electrical safety concerned. If my wall could produce electricity, the possibility of grounds, shorts, or electric shock could cause harm and maybe potential fires.
Perhaps a outdoor use could come in handy, otherwise, buckets of this paint should be sold in like Home Depot right next to the electrical insulation isle (^_^)!
when they get a paint that will produce about 100 thousand volts Ill take a gallon and paint Obama
please include a grounding wire
Sounds very promising. Concern: how will the product affect the human body??
Don’t eat the Paint!!!!
Oh-Oh ! I understand firefighters already don’t like solar panels on roofs … even when “the power switch has been turned off,” electricity still is being generated … plus which, the panel attachments apparently weaken the roof’s structural integrity — AND — the panels are slippery to work on.
NOW — suppose my ENTIRE HOUSE is painted with electrical paint … Oh-Oh !
I realize someone somewhere will address these problems, but as with so many “Unintended Consequences” now being recognized, what makes us think that generating electricity from places that need to be touched — or CAN be touched by little fingers ,,, is a good thing ?
Oh-Oh !
Talking to a Dem. about Taxation, and the proliferation Taxed the Imagination!
His Answer: OMG!, WHY didn’t we think of that??
there is a co. that has a paint to go onto glass you cant see it on sunny side you get power and at night your lights inside do the same as the sun at a lesser amount
Current technology will pay for itself in 8 years and last more than 20 years. Had mine installed 2 months ago. The power company pays me for power now.
The US military is using it already there tv channel AFN was showing commercials
in Afghanistan for the last 6 months I was there
That is great start they get that figured out and every one could have solar power and I would think a lot cheaper
The science channel had a competition of solar stuff and the one that I liked was a thin film that could cover everything, Paint would not be such a stretch.
I would like something being at latitude 48.6 that could cover a large space.
I am afraid that our government will get the idea that it’s missing out on revenue and begin taxing it so severely that it will never come to the public in any amount of efficiency. Call me a pesimist if you care to, but if Uncle smells money being saved, they will find a way to take it from you…big time.
Big brother would certainly not let anything like this pass. What happen to the car that would run on water? i don’t think it has anything to do with being a pesimist, just a realist!
Mercy, what next. Everything could be turned into voltage generation.
Another one of those ideas that makes such common sense! The possibilities of uses endless. Car paint, wind mills might not need wind and so on. I hope this idea comes to fruition and is affordable.
That is a great idea. I haven’t had the chance to build my solar yet but hope to do so soon. I want to give a heads up to a bad ebay business “alibabahongkong”. I bought a solar -hand crank radio,flashlight,cell phone charger from them. The only thing that worked was the flashlight! We went back and forth for over 2 months, it seemed like every time they e-mailed me it was someone else from the company , no one knew what was going on. They would say they were going to send me a refund and then the next e-mail was saying that they weren’t. It was too late to get my money back threw e-bay but they are investigating the business.
Great news for the world.
nene—solar windows
A technology closer to development is thin film solar,about like a heavy vinyl, that is equivalent
or better in efficiency than present rigid panels. It could be applied in ways you suggested to roofs
and walls but could not withstand traffic for roads or bridges. Frankly I doubt that any paint would.
Film could do double duty as greenhouse cover so could grow food at same time as providing
electricity to circulate ground water for frost prevention in cool weather crops or for fans for ventilation.
The two great drivers in our future are water-whether too little or too much- and AFFORDABLE energy
To ppaint my house and garage.
I can see the new laws being created as I read up on this stuff. The possibility of governmental controls will inspire a new agency, amazing aint it? I think I’m becoming a recluse, I can see government sticking their nose in our business all the time now. Ayn Rand’s prophetic book Atlas Shrugged sure points out the situations rising to the surface. Todays political figures combine with the progressive media is making me think America is going away. And now the media are making promotional videos stating our children part of a collective, the notion of complete parental authority is presented as the job of the government not the parents. This makes me think of the Hitler youth, we have all read these stories in the history books. Sorry about complaining. This paint seams to be a wonderful new invention.
In short every where feasible to produce the power needed to run a home! economically! Ray N.
Seems to offer unlimited possibilities to add suplimented power generation to an off the grid power source at reasonable price & installation cost’s! Go for it (improvements) Ray N.
I am afraid that our government will get the idea that it’s missing out on revenue and begin taxing it so severely that it will never come to the public in any amount of efficiency. Call me a pesimist if you care to, but if Uncle smells money being saved, they will find a way to take it from you…big time.
I have wished this for years. I envision a film on the windows blocking heat but generating a charge, siding paint, and roof material with built-in wattage ability. Even paint on cars and window film. Has to be a way to have a perpetual system with making the wattage as well as producing heat and cooling abilities. as well as for “mileage.” I wonder if the new pavement material could generate energy and the cars absorb it magnetically, atmospherically. Circuitry can be imbedded in “clothing” material now. There is no much potential. Same as for gardening protective skins to shield, generate solar wattage, and gently warm or cool.
As recently as 18 months ago, maybe two years, every “good” paint used a titanium dioxide (Ti02) base. Since the largest TiO2 mines are in Russia they decided to begin gouging on price. Paint costs have exploded. Many paint manufacturers are playing with other materials to provide a base for the paint recipe.
TiO2 has been used in paints, as a base, for at least the last 20 to 30 years. Before that clay was a popular base material.
I doubt these researchers have anything that is world shattering. They might be able to get a trickle of power from paint in the lab, but getting it to work over large areas? I doubt it.
Great Idea
I would paint the white house and the capital in Washington. That way there would be SOME useful
benefit coming out of those buildings. C
Maybe this opportunity is why Warren Buffet bought Sherwin-Williams recently.
This would beat having to build the solar panel.
any way to get off the grid.
Hey Frank
This is a great Idea however I feel that scientists need to take a good look at Tesla and draw information from him and others to put together a sustainable solution. The technology has been suppressed. If it is high power that they produce from the paint then the patent will be placed under military patent of which they will not be allowed to produce it or sell rights, nothing can be done.
Great!I like to learn more about this for use in the rural areas in nigeria, africa.
Hey Frank,
This article just poped up on my site and you already have articles some 145 days old. What gives???
I HONESTLY THINK THE RESEARCH WITH SOLAR PAINT WOULD GO MUCH FARTHER WITH DESIGNING A LIGHTING REPELENT, THINK ABOUT IT, A POSITIVELY CHARGED HOUSE, A LARGE NEGATIVLY CHARGED GROUNDED LIGHTNING ROD NEARBY, THE HOUSE WOULD ACT AS A LIGTNING REPELENT, SAFETY FIRST FOR YOUR ELECTRONIC SOLAR PANELS
I have an entire house that needs paint, roof, and gutters. Are the developers of this solar paint looking for places to use their product to study its durability and efficiency? My house is currently a blank canvas.
Right now I am renovating a home that needs a roof replaced, or at least sealed. Since in this home’s community the laws do not allow solar panels on roofs, I cannot transfer the one I currently am using to generate hot water. I’d be thrilled if a white solar paint were.used as a sealant on my 1600 sq.ft. roof as a trial to study its efficacy. I live in sunny central Florida!! :-)
I’d like to learn more about this!
If it could be made transparent it could be used on windows and also clothing and hikers could use the power for their instruments or cameras. Used on automobiles and busses, truck and train cars. Possibility of using it on monorail systems? Pets clothing – outdoor furniture – decks – pool decks – utility poles – barns – shoes – boots – snowmobiles – jet skis – boats – shipping containers – endless possibilities!!!
have u checked into solar sterling engine generator 12k w
I would tear up my lawn,lay 12″x12″ pavers down,only because you can easily swap out a single paver easier than say a section of concrete!!paint the top areas of my car,color?hmm,,,,,?
My question is: what about the toxcity of titanium dioxide ?
Might it be developed to heat road surfaces to melt snow and ice?
Since all this talk about survival conditioning, I thought of many ways in applying power to my sailboat and to have a paint to produce electricity would be great. There is a lot of area on a sailboat to apply paint. Thanks,all ideas would be appreciated. Don
I would paint cars, phones, planes, wind turbines, lamp posts, boats, and skyscrapers. Well pretty much everything haha