A New Thin Film Could Turn Anything into a Solar Panel Right Now

Oxford scientists have unveiled an ultra-thin material that could turn almost anything into a solar panel. To anyone with interests in doing the most to make solar power more accessible and affordable, this is like a dream come true.

The material is really so thin, much thinner than the silicon panels we are used to. It's made from layers of a special substance called perovskite, stacked so thinly that the whole thing is only about one micron thick. To put it into perspective, it is 150 times thinner than traditional silicon panels. That thin, bendy film could be slapped on virtually any surface that gets sunlight. Imagine having solar panels on your roof, your car and even your phone.

What is even more exciting is the fact that this new material can give out 5 percent more energy than the standard silicon panels. According to Dr. Shauifeng Hu from Oxford, this could very well make solar panels achieve efficiencies over 45 percent someday. That is quite a jump compared to where we are now.

One of the best parts is that with this new material, the cost of solar energy could be brought down. Because it is so thin and flexible, it's easier to manufacture and install. Thus, more farms would spring up to provide clean energy at an affordable cost.

However, there still seems to be a catch. The technology remains in research, we don't even know how long these new panels will last. A perovskite panel has been on the fritz, mainly where water stability is concerned. But the progress in a matter of years is impressive.

Solar energy has already become much cheaper in recent times. In the past decade, the prices of solar panels have fallen 90 percent. With new strides like this one, we might witness further reductions in price and efficiency enhancement.

The world is embracing solar power more than ever, with an old nuclear site in the US turning into a massive solar farm and Google investing in a big solar project in Taiwan. These are exciting times for solar energy; maybe Oxford's new material might just be the next big step forward.

Posted Using InLeo Alpha