Using minute graphite particles 1000 times smaller than the width of a human hair, mechanical engineers at Arizona State University hope to boost the efficiency — and profitability — of solar power plants.

Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels are popping up more and more on rooftops, but they’re not necessarily the best solar power solution. “The big limitation of PV panels is that they can use only a fraction of the sunlight that hits them, and the rest just turns into heat, which actually hurts the performance of the panels,” explains Robert Taylor, a graduate student in mechanical engineering at Arizona State University.

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An alternative that can make use of all of the sunlight, including light PVs can’t use, is the solar thermal collector. The purpose of these collectors — which take the form of dishes, panels, evacuated tubes, towers, and more — is to collect heat that can then be used to boil water to make steam, for example, which drives a turbine to create electricity.

For more on this article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110405081910.htm