New Solar Coating Boosts Energy By 20%

A startup solar coating company, SunDensity has developed a sputtered nano-optical coating for the glass surface of solar panels that boosts the energy yield by 20 percent, achieved by capturing more blue light than standard cells. The development is one of several energy-enhancing or energy-producing coatings in different stages of commercialization within the U.S. solar industry R&D community. The proprietary SunDensity Photonic Smart Coatings (PSC) is comprised of multiple layers that shift the ultraviolet photons into the infrared using localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), according to a statement by Boston-based SunDensity CEO Nish Sonwalkar. The coating is applied on top of a glass substrate via magnetron sputtering, by creating a plasma to shoot materials onto the glass using a physical vapor deposition chamber. As part of the development process, the company utilized a Zeiss Scanning Electronic Microscope from the University of Rochester to scan for the cha