The berries of the Jamun tree are popular in India. The fruit is known for its nutritional and medicinal value. It’s cheap and often sold on pavements and at traffic junctions. But Indian researchers have found a new benefit in the berries: They may be used to make solar panels far less expensive. The berries have a pigment that is very efficient in absorbing large amounts of sunlight. Most solar cells today are made of either single crystal silicon or polycrystalline silicon. While polycrystalline is more efficient, it is also more expensive. The scientists believe that the pigment of Jamun berries could bring down solar panel costs.
Creating cheap solar cells with an ingredient from a delicious Indian berry
More of Today's Solutions
Why Western scientists are turning to Indigenous knowledge
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Marco Hatch describes his own work with characteristic dry humor: "I'm a glorified clam counter." What he's actually ...
Read MoreThe science of why you keep falling for the same type of person
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Most people have a type. Ask them to describe it and they will, with varying degrees of self-awareness: ...
Read MoreRepresentatives from 185 countries establish the Global Biodiversity Framewor...
Amid mounting worries about the health of our planet's ecosystems, delegates from 185 countries gathered on Thursday, August 24th in Vancouver, Canada, for the ...
Read MoreUK announces groundbreaking ‘Flee Funds’ scheme for domestic abus...
The UK Home Office is taking a significant step forward in the fight against domestic abuse by launching a £2 million (just over $2.5 ...
Read More
