Anti-reflective coatings inspired by butterfly wings and recycled solar glass could combine to cut emissions and boost sustainability in global shipping.

A new design of solar panels with the coatings would concentrate the sun’s energy, enabling them to be more compact. And harness less direct light, un the same way that the wings of the wings of glasswing butterflies.

The research generating these advances in solar technology is taking place at the University of Exeter, supported through a fellowship funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation and the Exeter team have worked with ReSolar and Upcycled Glass Company (UGC) to successfully develop a process for producing high-quality solar concentrator optics from recycled photovoltaic glass.

Dr Katie Shanks, who is leading the research as part of her EPSRC fellowship, says: “Solar panels incorporating robust, durable anti-reflective coatings have obvious benefits for shipping but would also be ideal for buildings not optimally positioned or designed for capturing solar energy.”

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