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Researchers have long been hard at work figuring out ways that solar panels can convert more sunlight into electricity. A startup hailing from Australia, Brisbane Materials, now says it’s figured out how to do this effectively using an anti-reflective coating, and on Monday it plans to announce an AUD $5 million ($5.2 million) Series A investment to help it ship its technology to its first customers.
Brisbane Materials’ anti-reflective coating helps solar panels trap more light and the tech can boost the power output of solar panels by 3 percent, says its CEO Gary Wiseman. That means, for example, a solar panel that could produce 100 watts of energy without the coating will be able to yield 103 watts with Brisbane’s technology. Competing coating products can deliver 2 percent or less, says Wiseman.