New Energy Achieves Major 'Transparency' Breakthrough in Development of See-Thru Windows Capable of Generating Electricity
Ms. Briana L. Erickson New Energy Technologies, Inc. 3905 National Drive, Suite 110 Burtonsville, MD 20866 Email: Briana@NewEnergyTechnologiesInc.com
News Release
Researchers replace 'visibility-blocking' metal with transparent, environmentally-friendly compounds which collect electricity generated on the Company's SolarWindow™, currently under development.
Burtonsville, MD - January 4, 2010 - New Energy Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: NENE), currently developing MotionPower™ technologies for generating electricity from the kinetic energy of moving vehicles and SolarWindow™ technologies capable of generating electricity on glass windows, today announced that researchers have overcome a significant scientific hurdle in creating the first-of-its-kind see-thru solar glass by replacing a visibility-blocking solid metal component with environmentally-friendly, non-metallic, transparent compounds.
"Metal materials block visibility, and are arguably the most important hindrance to developing a commercially viable solar glass window product," explained Mr. Meetesh V. Patel, President and CEO of New Energy Technologies, Inc. "We have successfully replaced the metal contact component in our SolarWindow™ with non-metallic compounds, and in so doing, achieved significantly greater transparency, a key factor in advancing our technology along the commercial product development path. The importance of this breakthrough cannot be overstated."
To-date, one of the biggest obstacles faced by researchers developing New Energy's SolarWindow™ technology has been the presence of metal, an opaque material which blocks all visibility and prevents light from passing through glass. Eliminating metal has proved especially challenging since the metal component acts as the negative 'polar contact' - an important function in collecting the electricity generated from solar cells on the surface of the glass.
Today's breakthrough replaces this visibility-blocking metal with environmentally-friendly and more transparent compounds. These compounds now function as the negative polar contact and collect electricity from New Energy's SolarWindow™.
The production of solar-generated electricity on glass is made possible by the world's tiniest working solar cells, which have been successfully applied on to glass surfaces by researchers currently developing the Company's transparent SolarWindow™ technology.
These ultra-small solar cells measure less than ¼ the size of a grain of rice, are fabricated using environmentally-friendly materials, and successfully produce electricity, as demonstrated in a published peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy of the American Institute of Physics.
Unique performance properties of New Energy's ultra-small solar cells enable development of an ultra-thin film, only 1/1000th the thickness of a human hair, or 1/10th of a micrometer. In contrast, conventional thin films are exponentially thicker, measuring several micrometers thick and inhibiting transparency. In photovoltaic applications such as see-thru windows, where transparency is a primary concern, today's thin film solar cells simply cannot be utilized to produce a transparent solar window for application in homes, offices, and commercial buildings.
There are nearly 5 million commercial buildings in America, according to the Energy Information Administration, and more than 80 million single detached homes. New Energy's SolarWindow™ technology is under developed for commercial application in such buildings.
About New Energy Technologies, Inc. New Energy Technologies, Inc., together with its wholly owned subsidiaries, is a developer of next generation alternative and renewable energy technologies. Among the Company's technologies under development are:
MotionPower™ roadway systems for generating electricity by capturing the kinetic energy produced by moving vehicles. An estimated 250 million registered vehicles drive more than 6 billion miles on America's roadways, every day; and
SolarWindow™ technologies which enable transparent glass windows to generate electricity by coating their glass surfaces with the world's smallest known solar cells. These solar coatings are less than 1/10th the thickness of 'thin' films and make use of the world's smallest functional solar cells, shown to successfully produce electricity in a recently published peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy of the American Institute of Physics.
Through established relationships with universities, research institutions, and commercial partners, we strive to identify technologies and business opportunities on the leading edge of renewable energy innovation. Unique to our business model is the use of established research infrastructure owned by the various institutions we deal with, saving us significant capital which would otherwise be required for such costs as land and building acquisition, equipment and capital equipment purchases, and other start up expenses. As a result, we are able to benefit from leading edge research while employing significantly less capital than conventional organizations.
For additional information, please call Ms. Briana L. Erickson toll-free at 1-800-213-0689 or visit: www.newenergytechnologiesinc.com.
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