Colored Solar Panels Don't Need Direct Sun

A "green" technology company has developed jewel-toned solar panels that capture different parts of the sun's light spectrum and don't need direct sunlight to work, the company says.

They say the key is the bright colors in hues to capture different parts of the sun's light spectrum.

GreenSun, the company behind the technology, says unlike conventional solar panels, these can produce electricity without direct sunlight.

It says the colored panels don't need to face the sun and can absorb dispersed light.

This means they can also harness energy on a cloudy day, although with less efficiency than on sunny days.

The company says production costs are kept to a minimum because they require less silicon.

Source: news.nationalgeographic.comAdded: 29 September 2009