‘SOLAR PAINT’ TECHNOLOGY COULD BE CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE TO PANELS: ‘BILLIONS OF LIGHT-SENSITIVE PARTICLES [ARE] MIXED IN’ (Laurelle Stelle, January 10, 2024, The Cool Down)
The idea behind solar paint (aka photovoltaic paint) is simple: It’d be like ordinary paint but with billions of light-sensitive particles mixed in, as Understand Solar notes.
When you paint it onto a surface, such as the wall of a house, it would turn that surface into a stealthy solar panel, generating electricity when the sun hits a surface with circuitry attached, per Treehugger.
Just like ordinary solar panels, that would be a great way to save money, since you could lower your electrical bill. It would be good for the environment, as users won’t need as much power generated from burning coal or oil.
According to the Solar Action Alliance, this isn’t just theory. The University of Buffalo has developed a light-sensitive material for use in solar paint, and the University of Toronto has developed a spray-on substance to make what is essentially solar wallpaper — which could lead to a direct spray-paint application.