One of the breakthroughs in the field came in late 2005 with the invention of a plastic solar cell that can be sprayed on other materials to form a very versatile source of energy. One can envision the material being sprayed on cell phones, laptops, cars … giving the devices true independence from wires and recharging. Larger scale implementations could be the use of the spray to cover entire buildings or even unused land such as deserts to provide an abundant green source of renewable energy.
Scientists are expecting to improve on the efficiency of the plastic cells by harnessing the infrared part of the sun’s light, which represents about 50% of the total light that reaches the earth and which other solar cells cannot use to produce electricity. Another benefit of this aspect is the possibility to use the cells in cloudy weather or even at night in warm climates as infrared light is actually heat.
With greater efficiency come lower costs. Solar power is infact 3-5 times more expensive than the average U.S. residential power costs. The spray on power cells may finaly brige this gap and bring solar power to the mainstream.
