Solar tarp's dependability

Welcome to the “solar tarp,” could be spread out an entire room creating electricity from the sun that could also be transformed into a small ball and placed in a backpack without breaking. The durability of this invention requires a molecular structure that makes solar panels stretchable and tough.

Scientists from Johannes Kepler University Linz and the University of Tokyo developed stretchable cells. The cells  generate 10 W/g  based on an ultrathin polymer substrate. The solar tarp is made of an ultrathin organic solar cell. The material is very flexible, that it can be used for stretchable applications. The solar tarp is glued to a prestretched elastomer. The random  wrinkles that are  created upon relaxation allows for continuos stretching under repeated operation. An ultrathin flexible organic solar cell less than 2 µm thick could have implications for the design of future flexible electronic devices.  The tarp displays power conversion efficiency equal to that of their glass counterparts. “In all these areas, it is important that the cells are not only powerful, but also light and flexible,” said Dr. Martin Kaltenbrunner of the Institute of Experimental Physics. “[In] many things, you cannot install rigid cells.” 
 

Silicon machines 

Silicon is originates from sand making it cost effective. Its atoms pack a solid material making it an excellent semiconductor. Its conductivity can be switched on and off using electric fields or light.  Due to its cost  and versatility, silicon is the foundation of microchips and and most other electronics. They  transmit electrical signals from one part to another. Silicon is the main ingredient for solar panels since it can convert energy from light into positive and negative charges. These charges flow to the opposite sides of a solar cell that can be used as a  battery. Silicon doesn’t absorb light very efficiently. Photons might pass through a silicon panel that’s too thin.
 

The next door solar neighbors

Experts discovered additional semiconductors that are better at absorbing light. One group of materials, called “perovskites,” are applied to make solar cells as efficient as silicon ones. The only difference is the  light-absorbing layers that are one-thousandth the thickness needed with silicon. Researchers who first found the ultra-thin semiconductor, called it the semiconducting polymer. This is an “organic semiconductor” because its made of  carbon, which is a  “polymer” because its made up of long chains of organic molecules. Organic semiconductors are used commercially. Polymer semiconductors aren’t as effective at translating sunlight to electricity as perovskites or silicon, but are  more flexible and durable. Regular polymers are molecules that make up fabric, plastic and paint. Polymer semiconductors hold the potential to combine the electronic properties of materials. Semiconducting polymers have rigid molecular structures and are composed of crystals. These are key to their electronic properties but tend to make them brittle, which is not a desirable attribute for either flexible or rigid items.

Solar power is here to stay, and the sooner you explore how much you can save, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits of residential solar power. Go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. It tells you how much solar power you need, and how much you can save. Please visit our solar blog to find out more about the benefits of going solar.