New solar cell spray is capable of harnessing the sun's energy, even in the dark

• Scientists have invented a plastic solar cell that can turn the sun's power into electrical energy, even on a cloudy day.
• The plastic material uses nanotechnology and contains the first solar cells able to harness the sun's invisible, infrared rays.
• The breakthrough has led theorists to predict that plastic solar cells could one day become five times more efficient than current solar cell technology.
• Like paint, the composite can be sprayed onto other materials and used as portable electricity.
• A sweater coated in the material could power a cell phone or other wireless devices.
• A hydrogen-powered car painted with the film could potentially convert enough energy into electricity to continually recharge the car's battery.
• The researchers envision that one day "solar farms" consisting of the plastic material could be rolled across deserts to generate enough clean energy to supply the entire planet's power needs.
• "The sun that reaches the Earth's surface delivers 10,000 times more energy than we consume," said Ted Sargent, an electrical and computer engineering professor at the University of Toronto.
• While half of the sun's power lies in the visible spectrum, the other half lies in the infrared spectrum.
• Even people and animals give off heat," Sargent said.
• He said the plastic coating could be woven into a shirt or sweater and used to charge an item like a cell phone.
• In Japan, the world's largest solar-power market, the government expects that 50 percent of residential power supply will come from solar power by 2030, up from a fraction of a percent today.