The Colour #2

During my research on pigments and paints, I discovered that some paints can function as solar cells. Although this may not be news to those familiar with the subject, it was surprising to me. In 2018, TOYOTA proposed a technique that uses automotive painting technology to apply a high-power retention paint to solar cell modules. By incorporating a mica pigment concentration of approximately 10%, they can achieve an 80% increase in power output compared to previous methods. I was unaware of the versatility of paints until I read Masuda, T., Kudo, Y., & Banerjee, D. (2018). Visually attractive and high-power-retention solar modules by coloring with automotive paints. Coatings, 8(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings8080282 

In 2024, a review paper summarising related research was published by Kumar, A., Ganesan, H., Saini, V., Almujibah, H., Petrounias, P., Jeyan, J.M., Sharma, S., & Agrawal, A. (2023). An assessment of photovoltaic module degradation for life expectancy: A comprehensive review. Engineering Failure Analysis. 

Electric vehicles (EVs) are often associated with high vehicle height due to their thick batteries. However, Honda's announcement of a thin EV battery at the 2024 CES has become a hot topic. The vehicle is likely to be even lighter if energy efficiency is increased by applying energy storage paint to the solar panel modules.