A new study found that pop and rock music enhances the efficiency of solar cells. Scientists are looking at using this discovery in improving energy generation and using it in vehicles and air-conditioning components.
Researchers from the Queen Mary University of London and Imperial College London found that these music genres amplify the efficiencies because of the resulting vibrations in the solar cells. The high pitch and frequencies of pop and rock causes them to generate as much as 40 percent of energy.
The scientists created a device which allows sunlight to be converted into electricity. This was done by using zinc oxide to develop billions of polymer-covered nanorods. Through the distinctive attributes of zinc oxide, the research team was able to provide enough evidence that solar cells perform better with sound level with at least 75 decibels.
Dr. Steve Dunn, lead author of the study, said, “After investigating systems for converting vibrations into electricity this is a really exciting development that shows a similar set of physical properties can also enhance the performance of a photovoltaic.”
In the past, it has been accepted that zinc oxide materials could be used to produce voltage yield through application of force or strain. This procedure termed “piezoelectric effect” did not get enough investigation until now.
“We thought the (sound waves), which produce random fluctuations, would cancel each other out and so didn’t expect to see any significant overall effect on the power output. The key for us was that not only that the random fluctuations from the sound didn’t cancel each other out, but also that some frequencies of sound seemed really to amplify the solar cell output – so that the increase in power was a remarkably big effect considering how little sound energy we put in,” explained co-author Photochemistry Prof James Durrant.
The work of the team is a very significant discovery that paves the way for improved generation of solar energy, production of better and cheap solar cells and also beneficial applications in powering up devices which are exposed to sound vibrations. These could include vehicles and air-conditioning components.
The study was published in the Nov. 6 issue of the online journal Advanced Materials.
