Here Comes the Sun: 5 of the Coolest Advancements in Solar Technology

Solar power is projected to grow to almost half of the renewable energy production by 2050. With this growth, there must also be significant advancements in solar technology.

Whether you’re looking to put solar panels on your home or business or want to find out other methods of collecting energy from the sun, there are many interesting new advancements to explore. Keep reading to learn more.

Advancements in Solar Technology

Solar technology works by converting light from the sun into useable energy. When light hits a solar panel, electrons are knocked loose and then collected to become electricity.

If you’re looking to install a solar panel on your home or business, feel free to find solar installers near me.

1. Wearable Solar

Researchers have developed new solar technology to embed solar cells into clothing. This allows you to generate electricity every time you go out of the house.

You can use the electricity you generate to keep your phone charged, keep your body warm, or charge other devices.

2. Solar Skin

Solar skin doesn’t mean solar cells embedded in your skin. Instead, it is more like a skin for a house. Some customers have complained that traditional solar panels are ugly and don’t fit with the style they want for their house.

In response to this, some companies have developed solar panels that can blend in better with a house. It works by displaying an image on the surface of the panel.

If the image displayed is an image of how the roof normally looks, the panel will be less noticeable.

3. Floating Solar

Researchers have begun to use large collections of solar panels floating on the surface of bodies of water to generate electricity. There are several advantages to this kind of solar panel array.

They are more efficient than the standard solar panels attached to the roofs of houses. They are kept clean by the water underneath them while preventing water loss by decreasing the amount of evaporation.

They can also prevent the growth of harmful algae blooms on the surface of the water. However, they can reduce the amount of light that reaches into the water, which could be harmful to the local aquatic ecosystem.

4. Transparent Solar

Researchers at MIT have developed transparent solar panels. These can replace windows and other transparent surfaces within homes and businesses. These solar panels are also flexible, which means they can be used on almost any surface.

With this solar technology, every surface that comes into contact with sunlight can be used to generate electricity. The transparent cells work by using a single-atom-thick layer of graphene.

5. Solar Sails

Solar sails are used not to generate electricity to power our devices, but to propel small craft through space. When light hits an object, it produces a small amount of radiation pressure.

Here on Earth, it is much too small to feel, but in space, it can have an observable effect. The pressure from the light hitting the sail propels the spacecraft forward, similar to how wind propels a sailboat forward.

Next Steps

There are many types of advancements happening in solar technology, and there will be many more to come. Now that you know about some of the most recent, feel free to leave a comment or check out our blog.

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