Paper solar cells almost a reality

Soon, flexible solar cells may be printed cheaply on regular paper and fabric, thanks to the work of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The MIT reseachers worked out a manufacturing process that does away with high temperatures or potentially damaging liquids, according to an article on Fast Company. With such a process, solar cells can be light enough to be transported en masse to remote developing countries, Fast Company said. MIT likened the process to making the "silver lining in your bag of potato chips," the article said. The researchers, Miles C. Barr, Jill A. Rowehl, Richard R. Lunt, Jingjing Xu, Annie Wang, Christopher M. Boyce, Sung Gap Im, Vladimir Bulović, and Karen K. Gleason, first published the article online last July 8. In their research, they said the paper photovoltaic arrays can "produce >50 V, power common electronic displays in ambient indoor lighting, and can be tortuously flexed and folded without loss of function." Manufacturing In the manufacturing process, layers of "inks" are printed on a sheet of paper, with the materials forming patterns of solar cells on the paper's surface, compared to present solar cells that use more expensive materials like glass. The solar cells can function even when folded like a paper airplane, and can be folded and unfolded several times without loss of performance. Potentials For now, such solar cells have a low efficiency of one percent, barely enough for a tiny gadget like a mobile phone. But the new process opens the possibilities for dramatically lower costs. — TJD, GMA News