A team of researchers at Georgia Tech's School of Materials Science and Engineering has created a new solar power mechanism that enables the construction of "three-dimensional" solar cells.

The technology uses optical fibers like those used in telecommunications systems. Zinc oxide nanostructures are grown on the fibers and coated with dye-sensitized materials; when light enters the fiber, it reacts with the dye to create electrical current.

"Multiple light reflections within the fiber" and "within the nanostructures … increase the likelihood that light will interact with the dye molecules," says Professor Zhong Lin Wang.

While Georgia Tech's design is less efficient than silicon-based PV installations, its compact size and (literal) flexibility allow it to be installed in places like walls or cars. Wang envisions "[eliminating] the aesthetic issues of PV arrays on buildings" and "providing energy to parked vehicles."

The design is inexpensive to manufacture and durable, but efficiency is limited by the length of the fibers. Longer is better, says Wang, because longer fibers catch more light and generate more current. He acknowledges that his solar power system won't replace silicon-based installations but adds that it can make a meaningful impact.