Researchers have come up with a paint that can be used to generate clean energy.
Are you pining to transform your home in a paragon of clean energy efficiency, but aren’t ready (or able) to shell out for expensive solar panels or state-of-the-art heating and cooling systems?
What about a paint job? Researchers from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology have come up with a solar pain that generates hydrogen fuel from moist air and sunlight (and we all have plenty of that), according to an article appearing on Futurism. The paint combines titanium oxide, apparently a staple in most commercial wall paints, with a new compound called synthetic molybdenum-sulphide, which acts like a silica gel to protect the home from damage by absorbing moisture, the article said.
The material has another important role: To absorb solar energy and moisture from surrounding air, splitting the water into base hydrogen and oxygen molecules and harnessing the hydrogen for fuel. “The simple addition of the new material can convert a brick wall into energy harvesting and fuel production real estate,” Dr. Torben Daeneke was quoted as saying in the Futurism article.
The paint, which likely won’t be commercially available until five years at the earliest, is said to be effective in a variety of climates, from damp environments to dry ones near large bodies of water, the article said.
Seems like a no-brainer and a cost-effective way to bring clean energy to lots of households. You can sign me up!
