The continuous rainy days and hazes make people annoyed, especially those who use photovoltaic solar energy equipment. They can't even get a hot shower. Solar energy is a kind of energy that shines on people's heads every day. For a long time, people are constrained by technical constraints and they cannot do anything. In simple terms, the way we obtain solar energy is harsh on the environment, and we can't get enough and stable energy without sufficient sunlight. Today, this dilemma is being broken through. A new type of solar energy technology can simulate the photosynthesis of plants so that people can enjoy all-weather clean energy. The prospect of new technologies is very attractive. Some people predict that this may usher in a revolution in renewable energy. Do you believe it? At least the visiting professor at Aston University in the United Kingdom, Robert Matthews, firmly believes. Let us listen to him. Traditional solar energy is expensive to use This is a global paradox. Our planet absorbs more energy from the sun in an hour than it consumes in a year. But while sunlight is free, clean, and inexhaustible in nature, the share of solar energy in global energy output is less than 1%. The reason given generally is that solar cells were developed for the spacecraft in the 1950s, and are expensive and inefficient. Only under a clear cloudless sky, solar cells can effectively convert sunlight into electricity, which has little practical use in most industrialized countries in the world. Even with sufficient sunlight, solar cells must cover a large area in order to have economic benefits. No wonder solar energy is called "Cinderella" in renewable energy. Solar energy has the potential to develop into a clean and cheap main energy source. No one doubts this. Solar energy is easy to obtain, the development principle is simple and it can last for several billion years. The calculation results show that if the 1% of the Earth's surface area covers traditional solar cells, the entire world's energy needs can be met. The problem is that even if only 1%, it is equivalent to the entire land area of ​​Spain. It takes tens of trillions of dollars to spread solar cells on such a large area! However, the above assumption is based on the assumption that solar technology is no longer moving forward, but will always stagnate in current photovoltaic (PV) cell technology. Photovoltaic cells look like slabs of black, and we often see them on the top of chargers for some electronic devices and high-tech buildings. Photovoltaic cells use semiconductor materials such as silicon, which release electrons when exposed to sunlight, generating electrical current. New technology simulates plant photosynthesis, cloudy days and indoor work But now, new solar technologies have emerged. The breakthrough in new technology is to simulate the use of light energy in the natural world. Biomass has been using this method - photosynthesis - for many years regardless of the weather. At first glance, photosynthesis does not seem to be a promising source of energy. After all, the primary function of photosynthesis in nature is to convert carbon dioxide and moisture into carbohydrates. But in this transformation process, plants use light energy to force water molecules to release electrons. When the electrons flow, a current is formed. For decades, scientists have been trying to turn this key characteristic of photosynthesis into a source of electricity. Now researchers have finally succeeded, and they have created commercially feasible experimental prototypes. People are excited about this new "dye sensitized battery" (DSC). Its inventor is Professor Michael Gratzel of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland, so this type of battery is also often referred to as "Gretzel Battery." Since the early 1970s, Gretzer and his colleagues have been trying to simulate plants that convert sunlight into electricity. Their early research work focused on the combination of chlorophyll and titanium oxide. Chlorophyll is a green dye that absorbs sunlight in plants. Titanium oxide is a cheap compound that has similar electrical conductivity to silicon. The initial experimental results were disappointing. The batteries they produced could only convert 0.01% of light energy into electricity. But in the late 1980s, Gretzer et al. replaced chlorophyll with a more efficient dye and combined it with another form of titanium oxide, resulting in a conversion efficiency that increased hundreds of times. Suddenly, silicon solar cells are no longer the only one. Since then, Gretzer and research teams around the world are trying to make DSC batteries commercially viable. Researchers have increased the conversion rate to 10%, coupled with cheap raw materials and lower manufacturing costs, the new DSC battery is quite competitive. Even better, DSC batteries have plant-like properties that can work in cloudy days and indoors, while traditional photovoltaic cells require intense light. DSC batteries can be dyed or even transparent so that they can be used to make electricity-generating windows. In 2010, the tremendous development potential of DSC batteries was recognized by the scientific and technological community. Prof. Gretel became the fourth winner of the Millennium Technology Prize and received a bonus of 800,000 Euros. Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, has also won this honor. Insufficient electrolyte supply affects large-scale production So why haven't these DSC batteries replaced architectural glass windows and cell phone chargers? In fact, some test sites have been built, prototypes have been put into use, and government and private companies have also invested in related production equipment, but some practical problems still exist. The main problem is the electrolyte. The DSC facility needs electrolytes to turn the battery into an energy source. According to Henry Snaith, a chemist at Oxford University, the lack of electrolyte supply has affected the large-scale production of DSC equipment, making it difficult to have a significant impact on energy supply. “We need to produce hundreds of square kilometers of DSC batteries every day,†he said. “This rate is about the same as that of asphalted roads.†The current use of liquid electrolyte-based DSC batteries has a relatively short life span of only a few years. Buildings that use this type of facility need their efficient operation for decades. Dr. Snyth and his colleagues are developing solid electrolytes that are both easy to produce and less prone to ageing. This groundbreaking study earned them financial support from the UK Technology Strategy Council. The research team believes that they will soon be able to use standard screen-printing technology to achieve mass production of DSC batteries. Organic Photovoltaic Technology Generates Electricity Through Polymers There are some indications that DSC batteries are no longer in the limelight. Other studies are improving another entirely new type of solar cell, organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology. This technique uses a layer of plastic-like polymer to absorb light energy and generate electricity. Like DSC batteries, OPV batteries work well in cloudy and indoor environments and can also be made in various colors or transparent. Because its properties are as flexible and flexible as plastic, it can also be mass-produced using traditional printing methods. But the difference between the two is that OPV's conversion efficiency is slightly lower - a few percentage points lower. Some researchers also worry about the durability of OPV panels because the polymer will degrade after a period of use. Professor Lich and his colleagues are trying to solve this kind of practical problem. They think that there is no problem that cannot be solved. “We are confident that there is no technical limitation to increase efficiency from 10% to 12%.†Professor Leach believes that OPV batteries can be put into commercial use within five years. 