This one, admittedly, I find somewhat hard to believe, but according to reports, a dye derived from purple pokeberries -- which basically qualify as weeds just about everywhere -- can be used to increase the power output of solar cells by helping the cells absorb more solar radiation.
AND just how long has it taken to figure this out??
Two amazing excerpts from Science Daily:
Purple Pokeberries Hold Secret to Affordable Solar Power Worldwide
"Nanotech Center scientists have used the red dye made from pokeberries to coat their efficient and inexpensive fiber-based solar cells. The dye acts as an absorber, helping the cell's tiny fibers trap more sunlight to convert into power."
and also
"The fiber cells can produce as much as twice the power that current flat-cell technology can produce. That's because they are composed of millions of tiny, plastic "cans" that trap light until most of it is absorbed. Since the fibers create much more surface area, the fiber solar cells can collect light at any angle -- from the time the sun rises until it sets."
Utilizing nuclear power plants, solar cells, pokeberries, and efficient storage technology batteries -- we could get to a low-carbon world yet.
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