Any right-minded would-be meglomaniac has dreams of an army of tiny robots to help him rule the world. But nanotechnology is not just for world domination. No, you can use it to make solar cells even more efficient, according to EE Times, revealing that Professor Zaban of Israel’s Bar-Ilan University has created a solar cell 100 times bigger than its counterparts using nanotech.

In a recently patented technique, Professor Zaban demonstrated how metallic wires mounted on conductive glass can form the basis of solar cells with efficiency similar to that of conventional, silicon-based cells, but that are much cheaper to produce.

While Professor Zaban’s earlier efforts produced photovoltaic cells one square centimeter in size, he has now achieved a cell measuring 10 centimeters by 10 centimeters, which he claimed would boost the technique’s usefulness in producing commercial amounts of solar power. “Initially, we created linked arrays of very small cells, which led to a loss of efficiency because the sunlight hitting the space between the cells was not converted to electricity,” Professor Zaban said. Professor Zaban said the cell is now a practical choice for solar energy production.

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