Researchers at Tel Aviv University have developed a nanotechnological way to make solar panels more resistant to dust and water.
Originally looking for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, the researchers developed a way to control peptide atoms and molecules such that the peptides self-assembled in a vacuum in an array of tubelike structures that look much like blades of grass.
As a collective coating, the tubes were found to resist dust and water, making the technology a no-brainer application for desert solar arrays, which can be costly to maintain — after all, cleaner solar panels are more efficient — as well as on the sealed windows of glass skyscrapers.
http://www.smartplanet.com/business/blog/smart-takes/researchers-develop-nanotechnology-for-dirt-resistant-solar-panels/2826/