From The Workbench - Alternative + Renewable Energy Blog Valuable information for do-it-yourselfers interested in the latest in alternative + renewable energy

Every single day, every single week, and every single month there are developments being made in solar power that give everyone in the alternative energy world great hope.  Recently, I even mentioned that a young child has made some seriously exciting developments in the world of solar energy, and today, I just found some even newer innovations that make me very excited about what could be the future of alternative solar cell energy.

What if solar cells, and solar powered panels were “roll-able” and could be rolled up like carpet?  What if they could be rolled and stored in tightly compacted tubes, only to be unrolled when they were ready to be installed?  While current and conventional solar panels use plastic in their production, it makes them extremely rigid and forming them around curves, or even onto things like fabric is nearly impossible.  This new technology, developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern University, creates a new silicon solar cell that is extremely flexible and can be bent, curved and yes, even rolled.

While they are still deciding if the cost of this new style of solar cell is worth it, the applications are amazing.  As mentioned in the article, if cost-efficient, this new flexible solar panel could be used “as a solar skin on top of buildings or aircraft, as large rollable sheets, or even as a tinting film on sunroofs.” Hopefully, and I’m crossing my fingers here, this turns out to be an extremely cost-effective method of implementing solar power.  The ability to contort, twist, curve and layer these solar panels could revolutionize the use of an alternative energy source that by all accounts SHOULD be catching on like wildfire already.

Keep your fingers crossed with me, and stay tuned to this one.