Scientists at MIT broke new ground in solar energy research this month, introducing the world's lightest solar cell.
Thinner than a human hair and light enough to rest atop a bubble without popping it, the device is capable of generating six watts of power per gram— 400 times more than traditional solar cells.
It could one day revolutionize the way we charge our portable gadgets.
Imagine never again having to plug in your phone for juice, or popping a battery into your handheld gaming device. Instead, you could slap a solar cell sticker on it that would harness the power of the sun and fuel your addiction all day long.
"The light weight enables these solar cells to be integrated with many surfaces, providing power in [the] most unexpected formats," MIT professor Vladimir Bulović tells Tech Insider. "For example, your drapes or clothing could one day be covered with these solar cells. Your house roof or your car exterior could be laminated with them."
While solar power becomes more popular every year, cost is still an obstacle. There's a huge upfront investment in installing solar panels to the roof of your home or business, which turns off many potential customers. And while companies like Sunrun and SolarCity cut the upfront costs by leasing solar panels, customers can end up spending more in the long run.
Bulović and his MIT coworkers Joel Jean and Annie Wang set out to remove this barrier.
The result of their efforts is a "solar cell sandwich" that encases solar cell material in parylene, a flexible polymer similar to Saran Wrap. The team plans to experiment with different substances in order to ramp up production.
In an interview with the Smithsonian, Bulović explained it could eventually be possible to stitch a bunch of lightweight solar cells together. Installation would be as easy as unraveling the sheet on a roof like it's a can of Pillsbury pie crust.
Bulović estimates it will be 10 years before the technology becomes available commercially.
"Our goal is to reimagine what a solar cell is and reimagine what solar technology can be deployed as," Bulović said.