The optical disc solar power generation gizmo

Can a Blu-ray Disc help solar cells absorb sunlight?

The Northwestern researchers have demonstrated that a Blu-ray disc’s strings of binary code 0s and 1s, embedded as islands and pits to store video information, give solar cells the near-optimal surface texture to improve their absorption over the broad spectrum of sunlight.

Are CDs useful for solar energy experimentation?

Even though CDs have some features that make them potentially useful for solar energy experimentation, more features are needed to create a highly efficient or practical solar panel. A CD’s shiny, reflective surface can help concentrate sunlight onto a solar cell or photovoltaic material, potentially increasing light absorption.

Can Blu-ray discs be recycled into solar panels?

While it’s certainly appealing to think about recycling our Blu-ray discs directly into more efficient solar panels, a more realistic approach might be to use the mass-production infrastructure that’s already in place to create optical media that’s adapted to improving solar cell performance.

Could 3D nanoscale storage be a breakthrough for optical media?

Here’s how it works. We love 4K Blu-rays, but scientists are on the verge of a breakthrough for optical media: A research team from Shanghai just published a research paper on Nature that explains how we can use “3D nanoscale” storage to store 200,000GB (200TB or 1.6 petabytes) on one disc.

How can a CD help explain solar energy conversion?

Attach a small motor to a CD and use it to create a spinning device, place it in the sun, and the motor’s movement can demonstrate the conversion of light energy into mechanical motion. And CDs can be a valuable tool for explaining the concepts of light reflection, absorption, and solar energy conversion.

Can you make a solar panel from old CDs?

It’s a fun way to engage in science and engineering exploration. While you can create a basic solar panel using old CDs, the resulting energy output would be limited. An interesting YouTube video about this can be watched here. Actual solar panel features and material