No sun, no problem: Bacteria-powered solar panels are under construction at the University of British Columbia

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The West Coast may not be a favored territory for solar energy, but new UBC technologies could change that.

A team of scientists is developing a new type of solar energy Biological engineer Vikram Yadav says his team has genetically engineered the bacteria to produce an ultra-sensitive type of pigment, thereby enhancing the costly method of Injection of pigment into the cells

the pigment, the active or excite the pigment, the pigment then releases electrons. These electrons contribute to the electric current, "says Yadav.

"[The bacteria] is able to excite even when low levels of light fall on it, so it responds to the challenge of low-light," he says. he will work on the most cloudy days of winter in Vancouver

The idea behind solar panels of bacteria began in California where researchers took chlorophyll from spinach leaves and in using the pigment on the solar cells. Finally, these scientists saw small currents from the pigments.

Yadav explains that the new panels they are working on are a game of previous experience. Instead of pigments, they use E. coli

And although this process sounds complex, Yadav says that it is actually a simple and less expensive technology.

"Bacteria naturally love to multiply … it's really easy and cheap," he explains, adding that they've designed the bacteria to promote growth and growth. have coated metallic nanoparticles to turn it into usable electricity.

"Once you have that, the third part is to take the bacteria that are coated with the particles … put them in an electrode, and introduce them into the solar cell. "

Yadav says his team uses a lot of already established technology and combining it in new ways.But he warns, these solar panels are only a" generation "or a prototype.

" They have to compete with existing alternatives in the market.There is still a lot of research and development going on in these solar cells that have to raise their performance to a level that people will find competitive with existing solar technologies. "

says that the team has identified what some of these adjustments should be, and what the next steps in the research will look like.

He believes that it will take a few more years before these solar panels are on store shelves.