Gates yesterday pointed out another challenge - the most efficient dyes used to make solar paints come from a family of chemicals called perovskites that convert about 20 per cent of solar energy into electricity - a higher rate than all but the most efficient solar panels.
"Unfortunately, these dyes contain lead which is poisonous," Gates wrote. So researchers will need to develop non-toxic versions of such dyes that are efficient, stable, and easy to apply.
The private initiative is expected to work in tandem with Mission Innovation, a plan under which each of 20 participating countries, including India, China, Japan, France, Germany, the UK and the US, have pledged to double investment in research on clean energy.
