Truly flexible solar cells might be coming sooner than we think.

Truly flexible solar cells might be coming sooner than we think.

The short version:

Solar cells that use mixtures of organic molecules to absorb sunlight and convert it to electricity, that can be applied to curved surfaces such as the body of a car, could be a step closer thanks to a discovery that challenges conventional thinking about one of the key components of these devices. Turns out only about 1% of the surface area of the electrodes in organic solar cells need to be electrically conductive. That opens up a lot of opportunities for applications.

This is a giant step forward for solar paint, solar windows, and other applications we haven’t even thought of. What do you think the coolest application of this might be?